Kunoichi's Burden: Village First
by lilac haze
Summary: She was dying. She should have died. She was supposed to die but the Gods had other plans. Sakura is thrown back in the past, where a dangerously attractive blonde and a loud mouthed redhead have taken it upon themselves to make her life even more difficult. If Naruto's parents didn't get together, kami, she would be in a lot of trouble. MinatoXSakura. Time travel-fic.
1. At Death's Door

**Chapter One: At Death's Door **

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

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**Warning:** This story contains spoilers, I tried to keep it as close to the storyline as I could. It stops being cannon around manga chapter 626. This story contains violence, blood, language, some suggestive themes. It is rated high Teen.

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**Pairing: MinatoXSakura**

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Hello Everyone one,

So I finally gathered the courage to post my first multi-chapter story. I'm really excited about this one and I hope that I'll be hearing from you by the end of it.

Please enjoy and review. Let me know what you think!

~ L.H.

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Chapter One: At Death's Door

She was dying.

It was ironic really, that despite her growing reputation of being able to heal unthinkable wounds-wounds that even the great Tsunade could not heal-that she could not heal her own. Her extensive medical knowledge was useless to her now, all those hours spent studying and mastering difficult jutsu after jutsu could do her no service.

She knew that she only had herself to blame for her current predicament. How many times had Tsunade ingrained it in her brain that a medic must know their limitations? How many times had Naruto and Kakashi-sensei reprimanded her for going too far?

But Sakura was a compassionate person by nature for she'd rather bite off her own arm than turn away a patient in need. This trait had lead to her downfall. She had healed past her capabilities again. She literally had drained every ounce of her chakra and as if to further illustrate that point, her Yin-Seal pulsed weakly before the lilac diamond faded into her skin.

Her enemy was able to get a jump on her because she had been a walking corpse. She had left the medic tents with blurred vision and exhaustion that seemed to be part of her DNA. She could barley tell up from down at that point. She had not been pay attention to her surroundings; she had been careless and very, very stupid. She was quite vulnerable and the effort her assailant had to put in was minuscule. It was pathetic, his hand had pierced through her chest before she had even thought to fight back.

The bastard was cocky, he'd left her alive. '_I guess he figured that I wasn't worth the effort.' _Sakura thought dryly. This war had taken so much from her. In five years she had seen more shinobi die than she would have ever imagined. It had hardened her. The war had made her numb to her surroundings. She found herself becoming increasingly detached from reality the further it stretched on. She had been running on auto-pilot for nearly four years now. The last five years of her life were filled with pain, loss, fatigue, and enough heartache to last three lifetimes. Just when it looked like the Alliance had gained the edge the enemy would strike back. And each time they decisively struck down momentum and morale.

War forced her to grow up. She had to abandon her childish ideals that Naruto on his own could fix anything on his own. She was forced to realize that despite his bravado, confidence, determination, and endless amounts of energy that he was human. Naruto bled, felt pain, fatigued just like the rest of them. His burden was even worse than hers and it was beyond her comprehension how that boy had managed to pick himself up and return stronger each and every time. She admired his resolve and his stubborn refusal to never give up. It was because of him that she forced her tired, wiry bones out of her sleeping bag day in and day out.

She faintly registered the metallic taste in her mouth and that caused her to scrunch her nose in disgust. '_Blood'._ Her body felt so heavy and her own limbs felt foreign. _'It won't take long. I should bleed out in three minutes or so'._ She felt surprisingly calm. She was a shinobi though, she had made peace with dying at a young age. Everyone knew that even legendary shinobi did not make it far in life. The Forth was considered one of the best shinobi to ever have come into existence and even he did not get to see his thirtieth birthday. Sakura knew that she was nowhere near his league so she considered herself lucky to have lived to twenty-one, it was quite an accomplishment really. Her only regret was that she would not see the blond knucklehead become Hokage. Her heart gave a sudden lurch as the blond dominated her thoughts.

A wry smile crossed her bloody lips as she continued to peer at the sky through her half laden eyes. The clouds were grey-almost black. It would rain soon and soon her blood would be washed from her frame. '_Three broken ribs, a punctured lung, mild concussion, and ripped open chest cavity… It's a miracle that I'm still breathing.'_ It was comforting to know that she was still alive despite everything life had thrown at her. She was not bitter or hysterical in fact, she felt that this was the best way to go. She would join her friends, mentors, and loved ones soon. Neji, Choji, Lee, Sasuke, Tsunade, Kakashi, Anko, Yamato, Ino, and Temari were all waiting for her. Their deaths were devastating for Konoha, the war effort, and most importantly Naruto. '_He'll never forgive me.'_ She sighed wetly before a bubble of blood escaped her mouth. She was drowning in her own blood. It was poetic in a sense; the thing that kept her alive for so long was now killing her.

She was glad that she was dying alone. She did not want to see their tear filled eyes looking at her with pity. She did not want their heartbroken faces to be the last things she saw. No, dying alone was easier, quieter, and less messy. She had time to reflect on her life and her friendships. She would die with their smiling faces in her memory. Her blood continued to flow out of her at an alarming rate. Sakura was thankful that her neurons were too overwhelmed to feel pain because she could image how unbearable it would have been. She continued to smile fondly at the sky before she heard faint footsteps. She closed her eyes in frustration, she wanted to be alone but she forced herself to turn her head to her right. She found herself looking right at a pair of white sandals.

"I'm dying," she managed to croak out in a hoarse voice. It surprised her that her statement did nothing to her. She felt nothing. _'Kami, I'm tired of being so numb.' _

"Indeed. You've lost a lot of blood, little flower." A soothing feminine voice said. The sound of her vocals filled Sakura with peace. She grunted as she turned her head back towards the sky. Her blurry, unfocused eyes made contact with beautiful gold orbs. Sakura's shallow breath hitched. She must be hallucinating from blood loss because before her was a sight that was too beautiful, too regale, and too damn perfect to be in the midst of the chaos that was the Forth Shinobi War. Before her stood a woman dressed in expensive white silk, the bottom of her dress was soaking up Sakura's black and crimson blood. '_It's a shame'_, Sakura thought sadly. The woman followed Sakura's gaze and raised an elegant eyebrow, clearly her priorities had amused the woman. It hurt to look at her, she was so bright. The only objects that were not washed out in white were her gold eyes, pink lips, and three green markings on her forehead. A circle about the size of Sakura's own seal was flanked on each side by a smaller circle. Sakura found herself drawn to the markings. They were beautiful and she could sense that they contained immense power. The dying woman repressed a shudder and lowered her gaze back down to the woman's eyes. They filled her with unexplained warmth.

"Who-?" Sakura's question was cut off by a violent cough and more blood. The woman's long white braid fluttered as she bent over to inspect the fallen kunoichi closely. Her gold eyes studied her with calculated precision.

"Dear flower, you do not have much strength left. It seems your end is nearing." She looked at Sakura with little emotion. Once again Sakura found it hard to focus on the woman. It seemed like she was radiating white light, it was blinding but Sakura could not find the strength to look away.

Her jade eyes were losing their glow, their fire, and her skin was becoming increasingly pale. "Child I need you to focus." The woman's features suddenly became harsher as her tone shifted to authoritative. Sakura blinked and strained her eyes and ears in an effort to obey. She did not know what was going on but she felt drawn to this woman, drawn to her light. "It is not your time to go yet. The Gods have sent me to lend you my power. You need to change the course of events. This destruction," she made a sweeping gesture to the battle ground, "is not what they envisioned. They have high hopes for humanity. And you have not lived to your potential. You still have many people to help dear flower and you must help them." Her gaze became soft as she gently pushed a pink lock from Sakura's face. Her touch had sent a bolt of electricity down Sakura's spine. She could feel the energy that was being emitted by this woman.

Sakura licked her crusted lips and furrowed her brow. "W-what?" She whispered in confusion. The woman looked at her coolly before pressing a fair index finger to Sakura's forehead.

"Hush now child. I need to focus. I will lend you my power but be warned it will not be pleasant. You will not die today Haruno Sakura. You must fulfill your potential." Before Sakura could utter a sound in protest she felt searing pain in her forehead. The spot that the woman had touched burned beyond belief. If Sakura could she would have screamed in agony but she could only let out a whimper in eyes rolled back in her sockets and her body convulsed briefly before she became still. On her forehead a lilac diamond shone intensely and two smaller green circles joined it, one on each side of her yin-seal.

The woman had passed out from the pain so she failed to notice that the battlefield had faded completely and that she was within the training grounds of her home. Her seal had been released and the Creation Rebirth technique was taking effect. Black spirals covered her body as she began to heal what would have been fatal injuries. She also failed to notice that the woman that had been by her side had erupted into ash.

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The first few chapters will be shorter because they set the stage for the story. Until next time.


	2. Potential Realized

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters

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Hi Everyone,

I would like to begin by thanking all of those who reviewed, followed, or Favorited chapter one. I will try my best to keep interested in the story until the end. This story should be about thirty pages long. I have already written and completed chapter three and it should be posted within a week.

Your reviews allow me to gauge the interest in the story, characters, and plot development. I am really looking forward to later chapters because I have a lot of good things planned.

So enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. Thanks!

~L.H.

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**Chapter Two: Potential Realized **

Bells.

Sakura could hear bells in her head. She willed her eyes to open and found herself in a vast expanse of light. If she had any doubt before it had all vanished, she was defiantly dead.

She pushed herself from off the floor and shakily got up on her feet. Her first instinct was to look around but there was nothing for miles. She looked down at her hands and realized that they were still covered in blood- her blood. She hastily wiped the still damp crimson on her navy pants and continued to inspect herself. She took off her green vest and looked in horror at the gaping hole in the fabric right above her heart.

She dropped the vest quickly and began to gently probe for the injury. To her surprise the hole had been closed up, her flesh was still pink and raw. She winced in displeasure when she tried to test her mobility. All she felt was soreness, the pain was gone. '_Are dead people supposed to feel sore?' _She mused to herself.

Once she was satisfied that she was in fact alright, Sakura turned her attention to her surroundings. Nothing had changed. With a defeated sight she bent down to pick up her vest and let out a growl of frustration when her hair slipped past her shoulders and nearly touched the floor.

_'Wait, hair?' _

"What the hell?" Sakura let out an indulgent shriek. The last time she had checked her hair barely brushed shoulders. When did it get so long? She spun around in a circle, much like a puppy that was adamant to capture his own tail, and grabbed a handful of hair. Her hair brushed her hips! "What the hell?!" She repeated again more loudly this time.

"Such language is frowned upon, flower-chan." A whimsical voice called out. Before the woman had a chance to get out another word a kunai came whizzing by her. The kunai bounced off woman harmlessly, rather the chakra shield that materialized in front of her.

"Is that any way to treat someone that just saved your life, flower-chan?" Her voice was teasing but her eyes did not hold the same amusement.

"Who are you?" Sakura managed to hiss out. She had transitioned into a defensive stance and she was clutching a kunai so tightly that it was near breaking in her hold.

"Dear child, please calm down. Your body still hasn't recovered from the damage you sustained." The woman held up her hands as symbol of good faith. Sakura just narrowed her eyes and continued to glare at her. The woman let out a soft sigh before sitting down gracefully. Her white dressed pooled around her. She patted the ground next to her as if dealing with a stubborn child and not a deadly kunoichi.

When the girl did not join her, the woman sent her a pointed stare. "Child come sit down, I am more than willing to talk, if you are willing to be reasonable that is." She eyed the kunai thoughtfully for a brief second before she locked gazes with Sakura.

Something in her voice begged Sakura to comply. Reluctantly Sakura felt her jaw, shoulders, and arms beginning to relax. She gave a defeated sigh before she sat down next to the woman at a distance she deemed safe enough. The woman pursed her lips but did not say anything.

"Okay now talk." She ordered, she was watching the woman closely. She was ready to strike at a moment's notice.

The woman nodded her head before she began talking. "I would like to begin by answering your question. I go by Akemi. I am but a humble servant of the Gods and it is my responsibility to make sure that you do not die prematurely."

Sakura felt her mouth grow dry. The woman's name was familiar, in fact the woman felt familiar. And she realized it was because this woman was a legend. Her mother use to tell her myths about a beautiful maiden whose heart was as pure as her beauty. She was a princess whose father was a boastful and arrogant king. The king refused to thank the gods for the wars that he won, the bountiful harvest his lands enjoyed and the health of his people. He was so hubris that he encouraged his subjects to pray to him and to shower him with gifts and not the gods.

Long story short, in order to save her kingdom and people, the princesses begged the gods to punish her for her father's sins. Her selfless act had inspired shinobis for generations. Village first, the good of the village always comes first.

"I'm sorry Hime-sama. I didn't know-"Sakura began to stammer out an apology but she was silenced when the princess held up her hand.

"Flower-chan do not fret. You are confused and scared. I understand you apprehension." Akemi smiled softly at Sakura. Her kindness did nothing to alleviate the guilt and shame she was feeling.

"I should know better than to sneak up on a ninja. Anyways child we do not have much time. I have much to explain so please hear me out." She continued only after Sakura nodded at her enthusiastically.

"You were dying but the Gods are not ready for your death. They are not ready to see the world they worked so hard to create cease to exist. They believe that all of this could be avoided if events in the past are rectified. Your full potential is to heal those in the past. You must mend hearts and souls and ensure that we do not come across this destruction again. When you wake you will find yourself in Konoha's hospital but it will be twenty twenty-six years in the past. Please Flower-chan let me finish." She firmly cut off Sakura's protest. Sakura bit her tongue and forced her protest down. She needed to understand what was happening to her.

"You cannot return to your future because it will not be around much longer. The Alliance will lose the war shortly and all will be lost. You are a shinobi and you have been chosen to sacrifice your future for the benefit of your village." She finished by placing a consoling hand on the shaking woman's shoulders. Tears were falling freely from Sakura's face and her body was being rocked with sobs. Akemi understood the pinkette's pain, she understood it very well.

"Sakura-chan," she began. She gently lifted the woman's chin so that they were making eye contact. "This is a mission of the upmost importance. Trust nobody but the Third and the Forth. They will set you on the correct path. Also dear do not be afraid to let yourself fall every once in a while. A great burden has been thrust upon you but please remember that you do not have to do everything alone. Do not be afraid to let your walls down. I have faith in you." By the time she was finished she was pleased that Sakura's face was hard with determination and purpose.

"I understand. Thank you Akemi-hime for everything." Sakura gave the white haired maiden a heartbreaking beautiful smile. Akemi was surprised to find her hand was between both of Sakura's and that the woman was squeezing it gently as if reassuring her. "Where are we anyway?" Sakura asked as she looked around.

"We are in your subconscious mind, flower-chan." Sakura's eyes widened abruptly. Akemi could make out the word that she was mouthing. "My duty was to make sure that you did not die today flower-chan and to see that you made a safe journey back. Your health was deteriorating far more rapidly than we had first surmised. The only way to save you was to give you my life force. My chakra has been introduced to your system and that allowed your body to use to Creation Rebirth jutsu."

"But that means you died! In order to save me, you had to commit the ultimate sacrifice!" Sakura suddenly stood up and a horrified look on her face. "I'm so sorry hime, I'm so-"

"I' m not." Sakura stared at her flabbergasted. "Like you I understand the importance of our roles. It was my duty, my role to protect my precious subjects. They were being led astray by my father and it would not be fair to let them carry out punishment for his sins. I made the decisions to protect them and I understood the risks. I agreed to carry out the Gods' wishes because they too are thinking about the health and well being of everyone on earth. Everyone you care about, flower-chan. We each have our roles and our place. My role has been completed and all that remains is your role. Besides I am not dead I am very much alive in you."

She gently caressed Sakura's hair. Sakura watched the woman's eyes flicker to her forehead. "The introduction of my chakra had unintended consequences. It suits you; please remember me fondly by it." She stared at the woman before her. Her heart ached for her. Sakura's loss was greater than her own because at lease Akemi could watch over her precious people. Sakura had just lost all of them at once.

Akemi was broken out of her thoughts by the sudden warmth that was surrounding her. She blinked when she realized all that was in her line of vision was pink and it took her another moment to realize that Sakura has in fact embracing her.

"Thank you hime. I will never forget you." Sakura was a bit surprised when she felt Akemi hugging her back but she was very pleased.

"Flower-chan it is about time that you wake up now. Remember I believe in you and I am sure that we will meet again." The woman began to fade in front of Sakura and she was gone before a lone tear streaked down Sakura's face.


	3. Reunion of the Dead

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Warning: This story contains spoilers, language, suggestive themes, blood, and violence

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Hey guys!

I would like to begin by addressing some of the reviews from last chapter:

LeAvE AnGeL: Don't worry everything will be explained in due time.

asdf: Thanks for you support. Your comment in one of my one-shots really inspired me to go through with this. :)

xSincereLies: Thank you! I was worried about how people would react to an OC but Akemi is a major fixture in the plot.

To everyone else who reviewed: Thank you. You're positive feedback is making me really happy and the least I can do is give you all more to read.

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I have really big things planned for the later chapters. I'm sorry if things are moving a bit slowly but after the next chapter that's when things get really interesting. So please enjoy and leave a kind word.

Chapter four is already complete and should be uploaded by August 15th. Until next time!

~L.H.

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**Chapter Three: Reunion of the Dead **

Voices.

She heard voices speaking around her. Sakura strained her ears to pick up the remnants of their conversation. She had no idea of how she would be received by village. Was she labeled as a threat? Spy? Whatever she could gather from their conversation could end up being her salvation.

"So that's her huh?" A deep baritone voice that Sakura vaguely recognized asked.

"It appears so. Where exactly did you find her again?" A sharper feminine voice replied.

"Obito found her at training ground three. He was really excited to have proof that he was late for a legitimate reason." Another male voice said in a lighter tone than the previous two voices.

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything but doesn't she look a bit too young and fragile to be our girl?" The deep voice questioned. '_What are they talking about?' _Sakura questioned. Her mind was foggy, her limbs felt heavy, and her throat was impossibly dry. She knew that she would have a head splitting headache when she woke.

A snort was heard before the other male responded. "You of all people should know, Jiraiya-sensei, that age does not correlate with greatness." There was a shuffle of feet before a brief moment of silence.

"Also it has to be her. I was told that she was totally covered in her own…blood." The voice had paused at the word. "They cleaned it before I got to her." She answered the silent question that hung in the air. "She should have died. I don't think I could have saved her. It is amazing that she is even breathing. " The feminine muttered and silence fell over the room. Sakura heard rustling of clothing.

"It is her Tsuande-chan. I just received confirmation." A new voice said and the door closed softly behind him.

"Hokage-sama." All three voices greeted the newcomer. "She's awake." The feminine voice announced not that it surprised anyone, they had already known. It was said more for Sakura's benefit than their own. She knew that her charade was over but she made no movement.

If Sakura could she would have stiffened, the atmosphere in the room was suffocating. She stubbornly kept her eyes closed. She wasn't ready to accept everything just yet. She was still trying to convince herself that this was some elaborate dream. She had been thrust from one war and into another. She knew these people but they did not know her and she wanted to put off that heartache as long as she could.

She was also dreading to address the room of people who were supposed to be dead. But then again, she was supposed to be dead too. '_Guess I fit right in'. _

Hearing their voices again had raised a lump in her already raw throat.

"Aa. How is she, hime?" The new voice asked slowly but clearly. She could clearly picture the man with a pipe in his hand and with the other arm behind his back.

"She was covered in blood and it looks like she had a substantial amount of healing done on her. Right now I would say that she is suffering from chakra exhaustion and damaged coils. It's minor though. Her body went into an induced coma so that it could heal all her injuries. Her subconscious mind kept her alive. I've never seen anything like it." Everyone seemed to contemplate her words. It was a few minutes later that the Hokage spoke again.

"And the marks?" Sakura felt four pairs of eyes on her.

"The scars on her left arm are very old. I would say that about seven years. My bet is that they were caused by demon chakra. After all, she seems to be a very capable healer so there should not have been any scars unless it was a tailed-beast. The mark on her forehead is indeed a Yin-seal, but I do not recognize the other two circles. But they also look to be stores of chakra." Tsuande delivered her report with eased practice.

"If they are chakra stores, then why has she been in a comatose state for five days?" Jiraiya asked.

"Because that chakra seems to be foreign, it has not been fully integrated into her main system yet. The introduction of the chakra had also burned some of her coils. She had too much chakra given to her far too rapidly. Besides her body can still suffer from chakra exhaustion even if the stores are in tacked. It looks like someone pushed their chakra into her and by doing so, filled up her stores but not her main network." Silence once again filled the room.

"Sakura-chan, I think it's about time you got up." Sakura bit the inside of her mouth to keep from screaming at the Hokage.

She opened up her eyes and was forced to close them quickly because of the room's brightness. She was helped into a sitting position by Tsunade and she forced herself to look at the man before her.

"H-how?" Sakura's throat was raw and it was incredibly painful to talk. Someone in the room had enough sympathy that they drought her a glass of water. Sakura mumbled a brief thank you and took the glass but she never looked away from the Hokage.

"Akemi-hime let me know you were coming. I know all about your situation Sakura-chan. I am sorry for you loss." The Hokage looked at her mournfully. He spoke slowly and gently as if she would shatter at any second, who knew maybe she would.

At the mention of Akemi's name Sakura felt guilt well up inside of her, but she refused to wallow in it. She had promised Akemi that she would be strong. She had to be strong.

It made sense that he knew. Akemi had said it was her responsibility to see to that Sakura made a smooth transition. What good would chakra stores and potential do if she was killed upon sight?

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Sakura let out in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

The Hokage nodded at her. "How are you feeling?" He asked again with his gentle voice.

Sakura managed to give him a weak smile. Her head hurt, her ribs were sore, the scar tissue around her injury was tight, her forehead felt like it was burning, and her heart was hollow but she couldn't tell him that.

"Fine. I'm fine Hokage-sama." She said in what she hoped was a convincing tone. The Hokage nodded at her again.

"Okay, Sakura-chan I have important matters to attend to. But before I do that we need to make living arrangements for you." The Hokage began but before he could get too far he was interrupted by a very excited Jiraiya.

"She can live with me Sarutobi-sensei! How can I not help a beautiful woman in need?" Sakura shuddered at the lecherous smile on his face.

"No." Four voices said firmly at once. Sakura turned her attention to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama if it's not too much to ask for may I suggest that I live with Uzamaki Kushina-san?" Sakura had fond memories of Naruto telling her about his mother during the few moments they had together since the start of the war. From what he said, it would be very easy for Sakura to get along with a woman like her. '_Maybe she'll ease the ache left by Naruto?' _

"Kushina-chan?" The Hokage muttered in surprise. This was certainly unexpected. "Is there a particular reason Sakura-chan?"

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up at the attention she was receiving from everyone in the room. "It's just that I would feel more comfortable with someone around my age and gender." Sakura hastily added after sparing Jiraiya a brief glare.

The Hokage gave her a long measured look. This girl had been through a lot and he felt that he owed it to her to give her some form of comfort, regardless how small it may be.

"Sure Sakura-chan, I do not have any problems with these arrangements. Keep in mind though that your history is not to be discussed with anyone outside of this room. As far as anyone is concerned you are a refugee shinobi from Amegakure, who was saved by the Sannin during the last war and in order to show your gratitude you have become a shinobi of the Leaf. Understood?" Sakura nodded mutely, she felt so numb. She could not even claim Konoha to be her home. She had just lost her birthright along with everything else. '_I'm doing it for them. I'm doing it for them'._ She willed herself to remain collected and professional. Weakness had no place during a mission.

"Good, I will inform Kushina-chan of your living arrangements tomorrow morning. Be sure to come to my office then." The Hokage left without another word.

They were in midst of war and every moment the Hokage spent talking to her was valuable. He needed to make sure Konoha came out of the war stronger than it went in.

She knew that there was nothing physically wrong with her. Her body had been recovering for five days now. If anything, Sakura was itching for something to do. She needed to do her job and the sooner the better.

"Kid you need to lay down. Someone did quite a number on you but you healed yourself nicely, I must say." Tsunade's warm hand was pushing her back into a laying position.

"I learned from the best." Sakura smirked at her master's surprised expression. Tsunade quickly schooled her face and flicked Sakura's forehead in an almost affectionate manner. She spared the girl one last glance before she grabbed Jiraiya by the ear and hulled him behind her.

"Cocky brat-"was all Sakura heard of Tsunade's halfhearted "annoyed" mutterings before her voice was out of earshot.

"Aren't you gonna leave too?"Sakura asked blandly as she started up at the ceiling. She could still sense his presence. She could almost picture him leaning against the wall.

"No." Was his curt response and it frustrated Sakura to no end. She wanted to be alone. She needed to sort out her thoughts and plan her next move. If she slipped up even once, it would be a disaster for her mission.

"Fine do what you want, see if I care." She knew that she sounded like a spoiled child but she was beyond caring at this point. She was still having trouble processing everything that had happened to her. She was brought out of thoughts when she suddenly felt her bed dip. '_Who the hell does he think he is?' _She jerked her head up angrily and her breath caught in her throat. She found herself face to face with Namikaze Minato.


	4. Flirting with Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Warning: Contains spoilers and mild language.

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Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to update as much as I can this week because the fall semester starts very soon for me. I will try my best to update at least once a week once the semester rolls around but we all know that sometimes life gets in the way.

So anyway here's the next installment of the story. I am beyond floored that you people are actually reading it much less enjoying it! Your reviews fill me with happiness and motivation. Please keep them coming and the chapters will follow.

I promise you that I will see to this story's end as long as people are still interested. Thanks for you time and please enjoy!

~L.H

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**Chapter Four: Flirting with Destiny **

She swallowed thickly.

Of course this was not the first time she had ever seen him. The first time had been on the front lines, while she was healing Naruto. She had been amazed how similar Naruto and Minato looked.

But the Edo Tensei had not done the man justice. He was absolutely gorgeous. He was easily the prettiest man she had ever seen. He was prettier than her, Ino, and Hinata.

The Edo Tensei had gotten his hair, his build, but it failed to capture his eyes. They were captivating and Sakura found herself openly gawking at them. They were swimming with emotion and Sakura was unable to look away. Minato's cough was what brought her back to earth.

"I'm not leaving you because I know that it can't be easy to have made your decision." All traces of amusement and playfulness were gone from his expression. Her breath hitched with the pain of the memory.

"I didn't have much of a choice." Sakura's mood immediately darkened. She looked down at her hands. She had been chosen. She did not choose her path, it was forced on her.

"Of course you had a choice. Everyone always has a choice." Minato momentarily winced as he watched Sakura snap her head up to look at him. He could tell that she was about to protest so he cut her off before she could begin.

"If you had made up your mind to die, your body would have rejected the new chakra and you would have succumbed to your injuries. You're a medic. You could have easily taken your life before any of us could stop you. You made a choice Sakura-san, and you're living with it. You chose the interest of Konoha before your own and I find that truly admirable." He finished off with a soothing and comforting voice and it had Sakura clinging to every word.

Sakura stared at him with her mouth shamelessly agape. He was right. She did have a choice and she chose the right thing. She felt her insides warm at his words because she was not accustomed to people admiring her. Right or wrong people always saw her as the _other_ member of Team Seven. To many she was just the weak link in the otherwise legendary squad.

Sasuke and Naruto always made her fell weak and useless either intentionally or unintentionally. They were untouchable; she did not even breathe the same air as them. But here she was being praised by the greatest ninja that ever lived!

'_Kami, he's beautiful.' _She was positive that her face as beginning to heat up from the thought that just entered her mind. And to her upmost horror her fear was all but confirmed when the serious look vanished from Minato's face and was replaced by a mischievous one. She watched with sick fascination as his lips tugged into a smirk. It was hypnotizing the way they moved as he formed words. '_Wait, form words? What?'_

"Sa-ku-ra." Minato repeated her name for the third time but the pink haired woman seemed content to just stare at his lips. '_Well guess it's time for plan B' _he thought as wicked smirk crossed his face. His eyes shone dangerously as he deliberately dragged his tongue across his lips slowly and that seemed to do it.

Sakura blinked as the dazed look disappeared from her face. "Sakura." He repeated again but this time more firmly.

"P-pretty. Huh?" Sakura blinked at him clearly confused and he could not help but feel arrogant. Sakura had unknowingly stroked his male ego and he was going to make her pay.

"So you think I'm pretty?" He schooled his features and raised his brow. Something told him that getting her riled up would promise to be a bucket full of fun.

"What? No! Where did you get that outrageous idea from?" She snapped at him. Her jade eyes were alive with heat and her face was red but for a totally different reason. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to back down from his stare.

"Well you looked at me and said pretty. It doesn't take a genius to come to a conclusion." He said calmly as he casually crossed his arms and leaned back on the bed railing a bit. He watched greedily as her eyes widened and her jaw slacked, ah this was almost too easy.

"I wasn't referring to you, idiot!" She stuck her chin out at him defiantly. Her eyes were full of denial and her face was set in a hard line. She was the picture of stubbornness.

"Oh? Then what pray tell, were you referring to?" He watched as her confidence flattered. He had her cornered, she knew it, and he knew it.

_'Damn him. Pretty boy has got me good. Pretty, what's pretty?' _She quickly glanced around the room and to found nothing that could pass off as pretty. There was not even a damn flower in the room!

"Hm why don't I help you out, Sakura-chan?" Minato said thoughtfully. He tapped his index finger against his chin. His blue eyes looked so solemn and trustworthy that Sakura fell for the bait.

He did not know what possessed him to tease her but it was very entertaining watching her fumble for coherency. Something about her just made him want to keep going.

"Really?" She managed to say wearily. She was hesitant of him and her body language drove that point home. After all the things that she had been through, she could not help but feel weary.

Her emotions were going from depressed to grateful to happy to embarrassed faster than Naruto polishing off ramen. She eyed him guardedly. This man was so different from the Minato she had fought alongside with during the war.

That man was so focused, so levelheaded, so serious but the man in front of her was a completely different animal. He intimated her but she would never let that show.

She could trust him, right? Sakura bit her lip and took in his innocent, friendly facial expression. He wouldn't harm a fellow Konoha shinobi, right? Wrong.

Minato nodded his head in a manner that reminded Sakura of Naruto. He nodded like that when he was particularly proud of himself. That was a tell tale sign that she should run away and to run as fast as she could.

'_Running from him is off the table. I'll never make it!'_ She looked at the door longingly. '_I'll never make it. He'll catch me before I even move.' _Sakura swallowed audibly and waited her fate with a sinking feeling.

"Sure!" Minato said brightly. He gave her a dazzling smile before continuing. "There are plenty of pretty things in the room." Sakura stared at him incredulously but that did nothing to derail his enthusiasm. Her skin was beginning to crawl but she kept her calm façade.

"For example, I'm looking at something that's really pretty right now. Think you can find it Sakura-chan?" He asked her in childish manner. Sakura gave him a leveled look but he ignored it.

She was caught off guard by his arm darting out. He captured a lock of her hair before she realized what his intentions were. She watched mutely as he twirled it thoughtfully between his fingers. His eyes had darken and become much more intense. For the first time in a very long time Sakura found herself paralyzed with fear.

"Your hair, it's very pretty." His voice had dropped down a couple of octaves and it both burned her and froze her insides simultaneously. Her hands suddenly became very clammy and she found that she couldn't keep her lips moist enough.

She looked on helplessly as his hand released her captive hair and descended down her cheek. She felt his calloused fingers trance down to her jaw before his hand came to rest on her shoulder. Her skin was burning underneath the thin fabric that separated the skin of her shoulder from his fingers.

Her eyes shot up to meet his and his gaze captured her. "You'd be pretty too Sakura-chan. Shame that your forehead prevents that." He was leaning back again his eyes were unreadable. He waited for her reaction or more accurately waited for her to explode. He had a theory to prove.

And Sakura was never one to disappoint.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that. Could you say it again?" She said in an overtly sweet voice. She would make the bastard beg for his life. After all she was here in the past to change things.

Sakura was always an overachiever. She went above and beyond the call of duty. Her first self-appointed mission: knock pretty-boy down a few pegs and bring him back to earth.

Minato, the sad idiot, just smiled broadly at her. "I said you would be pretty if it weren't for that humungous fore-"He never got to finish his sentence. It was hard to talk when you had a broken jaw.

Minato felt his body fly off the bed and hit a wall. Sakura smirked at the satisfying thud he made. Wide blue eyes stared at her smug green with shock. He tenderly grabbed his jaw and glared daggers at her and that only served to make Sakura's smirk larger.

The pinkette shrugged her shoulders in a very casual manner. Regret and guilt were absent from her deposition.

"That'll teach you porcupine, not to mess with me. Next time I promise not to hold back either!" With that Sakura collapsed in her bed, turned her back to Minato, and pulled the covers over her head. She had dismissed him.

Minato groaned softly as he helped himself up and made his way to the door. He looked over his shoulder at the pink hair vixen and tried to grin. He was right. Riling her up had been fun. With one more glance he looked at her sleeping form and left the room. His life had just gotten a lot more interesting.

* * *

Later that night Sakura awoke with a cold sweat clinging to her skin. Her brain had just come to a sudden realization. She had just spent her first conscious day in the past unknowingly flirting with Naruto's father. And the man had shamelessly flirted back. She groaned and covered her face with her pillow and screamed into it. She was in deep shit.


	5. Meeting the Red-Hot Habanero

Warning: Contains spoilers, language.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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Hi All,

I would like to begin by thanking my review core of:

LeAvE AnGeL

asdf

xSincereLies

(if I forgot someone I am really sorry)

these individuals have reviewed at least once every single chapter. You all are awesome and deserve a medal!

You probably guessed by now that this chapter revolves around the introduction of Kushina into the story. I hope this lives up to the expectations. Please remember to leave a review with your thoughts. It would be much appreciated! I'll try to update once more before the week is over. The sooner I hit double digit reviews for this chapter the sooner it will be up. Until next time. :) Enjoy!

~L.H.

* * *

Indigo eyes narrowed.

Kushina could not believe what she was hearing. "Hokage-sama I don't see why I have to be the one babysitting the girl from Ame, dattebane!" The Hokage was really testing her patience. '_He must be going senile,'_ she thought while gritting her teeth.

She was not in a good mood. The Hokage had summoned her bright and early (before noon) to inform her that she had play host to a complete stranger. A stranger from a village they were once at war against no less! What was the Hokage thinking?

The Hokage was noticing the waves of anger and frustration that were being emitted by the red haired kunoichi. No one would ever accuse Kushina of being hard to read. The Hokage watched with an amused smirk as the girl tapped her foot in a very irritated manner.

"Kushina-chan, I thought that you would be more than willing to help a few kunoichi in need." The Hokage began carefully, after all, Kushina was not known for her patience-quite the opposite really.

This caused Kushina to pause, she stopped tapping her foot and grinding her teeth and looked at Sarutobi with confusion etched in her features.

"You have experienced firsthand the pain and difficulty of integrating into a new village. I'm sure you can relate to Sakura-chan better than anyone else. Can't you, Kushina-chan?" The Hokage looked at her and was pleased to note that the woman's eyes had softened in understanding.

Kushina slumped her shoulders. She knew the pain of being ostracized and being labeled an outsider. It hurt and she did not wish that pain on anyone. "I understand Hokage-sama. When will meet her?" Now that her anger and irritation had subsided Kushina was very excited.

As if on cue a knock was heard at the door. "Aa. Right on time. Come in Sakura-chan." The Hokage called out with a knowing smile. Kushina whipped around in time to see the handle of the door open and a woman with pink hair walk in. '_Pink? No that's even weirder than mine, dattebane!'_

"Kushina-chan meet Sakura-chan." The Hokage watched as the two women looked at each other. Neither made a move and neither said a word.

Sakura felt her heart drop to her stomach. She was looking at Naruto's mother. She was absolutely gorgeous with the vibrant knee length hair and dark, almost purple eyes. In her presence Sakura became more self conscious of the shapeless shirt and pants the hospital had given her.

Meanwhile Kushina was too busy taking in Sakura to realize that she was staring. '_This girl is weird. What's up with her forehead?_' She looked at the small woman in front of her. Her clothes were practically swallowing her.

"Um, nice to meet you Kushina-san. Thank you so much for your hospitality. I promise that I won't be a burden." Sakura managed to cut the awkward tension in the room with her words. She made sure to bow respectfully at Kushina, to show the woman her gratitude.

"Call me Kushina. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun Sakura-chan!" Kushina's smile was so reminiscent of Naruto's that Sakura felt her heart break. She really missed the baka.

"Thank you." Sakura said lamely. She looked at her feet. She did not know why but she suddenly felt very timid in front of her best friend's mom. Kushina mistook her shyness for sadness.

"Ne Sakura-chan how about we go get some ramen? Then I can show you around the village. You'll love it here!" She was radiating joy and energy. Sakura guessed it wasn't Naruto's fault he was such a knucklehead, it was in his blood.

"Okay." Kushina let out a happy holler at Sakura's acceptance before she could stop herself.

"Sakura-chan?" Sakura turned her attention back to the Hokage. Her palms began to sweat at the expression he had on his face. He had a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Yes Hokage-sama." She managed to stammer out. She was beginning to dread her predicament. She was sacred, very scared.

"Please refrain from knocking out my best shinobi so easily. It really reflects badly on me." His tone was dead serious but his eyes were full of mirth.

Sakura felt her face heat up to what she was convinced was super nova temperature. She hastily mumbled out an apology before she allowed the very impatient Kushina to grab hold of her arm and drag her out of the Hokage's office without another word. The Hokage's chuckles rang in her ears long after she'd left.

* * *

"What was that about?" Kushina asked innocently. Her large eyes looked at her disarmingly.

"I punched Jiraiya for being a pervert." Sakura lied with practiced ease, not even missing a beat.

Kushina gave her a thoughtful look before nodding solemnly. "That Jiraiya, he never learns." Both women shared a knowing look before sighing.

They had been walking in silence before Kushina abruptly turned around and scrunched her nose.

"Let's get you out of those clothes first!" She said brightly and began to pull Sakura down the street. Sakura ignored the woman's musings. She was too busy holding back tears. Kushina reminded her so much of Naruto that it was painful. Minato had only looked like him but with Kushina she was reminded of her friend's antics and it hurt.

Naruto's description of his mother had not prepared her for this. Kushina was just a ball of life and Sakura couldn't help but get caught up in her excitement. '_No, I have a mission I can't think about him now.' _Sakura shook the cobwebs from her head and focused on her surroundings.

She was a bit surprised to find herself sitting on the edge of Kushina's bed while the woman rummaged through her closet looking for clothes. Sakura eyed the messy pile of laundry in front of her with disdain. '_Guess that's were Naruto gets his cleaning habits from'. _

She was brought out her thoughts by a sudden exclamation of "Yatta!" She managed to catch the articles of clothing that Kushina had thrown at her. She held the first garment and raised her brow.

"Orange, Kushina?" She asked in a dry voice. Oh the irony of the situation.

"What? It's a beautiful color. It's bright and happy! Everyone looks good in orange." Kushina glared playfully at Sakura. "Beggars can't be choosers, Sakura-chan. Now go put them on." She lifted Sakura off the bed by her arms and pushed her towards a small bathroom and slammed the door in her face, before Sakura could protest.

Sakura sighed and with one last rueful glance at the orange tank top in her hands she put it on. Kushina was a bit taller than Sakura but the tank top fit her nicely much to her dismay. The black shorts that the woman had given her were much more tasteful in Sakura's opinion. They rested mid-thigh and as a bonus even had pockets. Sakura had showered at the hospital and now with clothes that actually fit her, she felt better.

The only thing that was salvaged from her original grabs were her shoes and Sakura was beyond thankful that her boots has survived the ordeal. She loved them to pieces. Sakura gathered her locks into a braid identical to Akemi's but a few strands had managed to escape and they framed her face. Once she was satisfied that she was presentable she stepped out into Kushina's room.

"You look nice Sakura-chan. Now, let's go get ramen." Sakura let out a short laugh before she followed the excited woman down the stairs. It was hard for her to feel foreign with Kushina around. The woman was so welcoming and warm.

The walk to Ichiraku was filled with Kushina's excited mutterings and Sakura's smiles. She hadn't smiled this much since before the war started, but with Kushina around it was impossible to keep a straight face.

"This place has the best ramen, Sakura-chan." Kushina said enthusiastically as the two women sat down.

"Ah Kushian-chan who do we have here?" Teuchi asked good naturedly.

"Teuchi-san this is my friend Sakura-chan, she's new. I'm showing her around. Isn't that right Sakura-chan?" Both Teuchi and Kushina turned to look expectantly at her.

"That's right and Kushina-chan said that there's no better place to start our tour other than here!" Sakura said with big smile on her face. It warmed her heart when Kushina had called her a friend. ' _So this is where Naruto gets his nature from'. _

Kushina and Teuchi returned her smile. The two women dug into their ramen with equal gusto. Sakura had been deprived of Ichiraku ramen for the better part of six years. She could not help but feel nostalgic.

"So what was it like?" Kushina asked in a small voice, it could have been mistaken as timid.

Sakura bit back a sigh and closed her eyes. The images of Konoha, her Konoha flashed before her eyes. "It was beautiful. It was a lot like this place." Sakura answered sadly. Kushina gave her a sympathetic smile and Sakura did her best to return it.

"It gets better." The redhead said so reassuringly that Sakura realized that she would have been a fantastic mother. She was the mother that Naruto deserved but was unfortunate enough to not experience.

Sakura bit her quivering lip at the thought of how happy Naruto would have been had his parents survived. '_I promise you Naruto, I will keep them alive. You will not be orphaned-I will not allow it.' _

Sakura looked at Kushina and her eyes burned with resolve. She would protect them, at all costs.

"Thank you." Sakura smiled genuinely at the woman next to her. They shared a bond. Both of them had experienced the loss of a home.

* * *

"Ne Kushina, can I ask you a personal question?" Sakura asked after a comfortable silence had settled around them. She rested her elbows on the counter and half turned so that she could observe Kushina better.

"Sure thing Sakura-chan. Ask away!" The level of trust Kushina had exhibited surprised Sakura for a split second. This woman was truly amazing. She greeted strangers as if they were close friends.

Sakura took in a deep breath and readied herself. She was going to ask Kushina something that had been bothering her since yesterday.

"What do you think of Minato?" Her question was guarded but her tone was light and carefree. She watched closely to see and tell tale signs on infatuation cross Kushina's face, but her face remained completely neutral.

'_Odd', _Sakura concluded. Even the most experienced ninja had a tell when the conversation turned uncomfortable or personal. But Kushina did not even flinch.

"Minato," Kushina blinked and made a face. "He's okay, I guess. We don't have much contact. The truth is, I don't really have an opinion about him. Why do you ask?" Kushina answered honestly. Sakura searched her face and digested her admission.

_'No, no, no! This was all wrong they should have already fallen in love!'_ Cold fear gripped Sakura's heart. Kushina had fallen for Minato by the time she was a genin in her time line. They should have be planning a wedding soon. '_Oh Kami, what was she going to do now?!' _

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What do ya' think? :)


	6. Renewed Purpose

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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Warning: Contains spoilers and mild language.

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Dear Readers,

I promised that I would update as soon as I hit double digit reviews for chapter five, so here's chapter six. Thanks to all those who took the time to review. Read, enjoy, and please leave your thoughts.

Until next time.

~ L.H.

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Think.

Sakura blinked owlishly while her brain was going haywire as it tried to analyze the situation in front of her. She was brought out of her inner turmoil by a rough shake of her shoulders.

"Huh?" Sakura blinked and tilted her head back once she realized just how close to her face Kushina was.

The redhead looked at her with concern. "You okay, Sakura-chan? You kinda spaced out on me." Kushina asked the medic worriedly.

Sakura waved off her fears with a casual batting of her hand. But she could not stop the corner of her mouth from twitching in displeasure.

"I'm fine Kushina, you just remind me of someone." She offered her fellow jonin a reassuring smile. She looked at the redhead with twinkling eyes.

"From home, right?" Kushina asked softly. Sakura cursed herself for causing the normally loudmouthed, hyperactive woman to look so miserable.

"Cheer up Kushina-chan. It's a happy memory." Sakura schooled her features into a bright smile and she was relieved that Kushina did not see through it. The woman did not know her as well as Naruto did. The blonde could read her like an open book, but thankfully Kushina could still be fooled by her fake smiles.

"Anyways like I was saying before you weirded out on me, why'd you ask?" Kushina turned her indigo stare at Sakura.

"What did I ask?" Sakura prayed to every higher being that Kushina's attention span would be as bad as Naruto's. She didn't want to deal with this now.

"Ya' know about Minato! Geez, you are such a scatterbrain." She tapped her chopsticks against Sakura's forehead. '_What's with everybody and my forehead?' _She thought annoyed.

"No reason. Just thought that you two would make a cute couple, is all." Sakura casually shrugged her shoulders before she spared her friend a teasing smirk. Oh, how she missed these types of conversations with Ino.

Sakura watched in satisfaction as a deep blush spread across Kushina's fair cheeks. She watched triumphantly as the jinchuuriki stammered and made unrecognizable squawking sounds.

Sakura causally tiled back in her seat to avoid being stabbed in the retina by Kushina's index finger. "T-take it back!" Kushina had gotten over her initial embarrassment and was dealing with it by getting angry; a coping mechanism that Sakura was very familiar with.

"Nu-uh," said Sakura smoothly almost in a bored voice. '_I guess I see the fun in riling someone up.' _Usually it was Naruto that made her blood boil but it was fun to on the other side for once. "Just think how cute your kids will be." She _knew_ exactly how cute Kushina and Minato's kid would be. She tilted her head to the side and winked playfully at the woman who was as red as her hair.

"What?! You- you I'm going to crush you, dattebane!" Kushina made a drive towards the woman but Sakura's attention was drawn to the commotion outside. Kushina stopped midstrike once she had noticed Sakura's expression.

"Hurry, take them to the hospital immediately!" The voice sounded frantic and there were grunts of agreement.

"Outta the way!" Another male voice shouted loudly.

Sakura's eyes widened in realization, a squad had just come back from a mission and by the sound of things it had not ended well.

"Kushina, I have to go. I'll see you at home okay?" Sakura abruptly got up to her feet and ran out the stand without a backward glance. She barely registered confused protest from Kushina before she was out of hearing range.

* * *

Sakura took to the roofs of the hospital. To her disappointment she was a bit winded. During the war effort all her time and energy had been spent healing the wounded and that had left her more than a little rusty when it came to stamina. '_Tomorrow. I'll address this tomorrow.' _She silently promised herself before she launched herself from off the rooftop and into the hospital's lobby.

Sakura allowed herself a moment to gather herself and observe the chaos in front of her. The lobby was a madhouse. She counted at least six heavily injured genin and chunnin that had life threatening injuries. Thankfully the remaining two members were a little shaken up but otherwise unhurt.

In the past it would have overwhelmed her and rendered her unable to move but war had steeled her and prepared her to address anything. She took a deep calming breath before she began barking orders. The nurses and doctors looked at her in skeptically but her voice held too much authority for them to argue.

Sakura moved to the patient that she judged was hit the worst and immediately began to cut away his chunnin vest and pour her chakra into him. "Snapped right tibia, punctured internal carotid, and torn hip flexer. We need to work on carotid first, that's a priority." She said calmly. The medics watched her with grim determination. They were ready to carry out her orders to the dot. She sighed and readied herself for a very eventful evening.

* * *

She released a groan and let her body slide down the wall she was leaning against. She did not have energy to even lift her head. She let her forehead rest against her knees and waited for sleep to take over. She had been working for eleven hours.

She was running on empty again but she was used to it. Shame she hadn't learned her lesson. The only difference was that Naruto was not around to scowl and fuss over her.

The most important thing was that she had saved them all. Some were at death's door but she had slammed it shut. She was satisfied with herself. It felt good to be able to save lives. The two conscious jonin instructors had informed her that it was a rescue mission that had gone wrong.

A client had lied by the rank of the mission and that deception had cost the man his life and nearly the lives of six other individuals. Sakura felt deep anger in her veins. Six people nearly died because the bastard of a client wanted to save a few bucks! She was a ninja, they were ninjas, they all knew the risks of taking missions but that insight did nothing to quell her anger.

She looked down at her tank top mournfully. It was getting really hard for her to keep blood off her clothes. She grimaced at the now brown stains. She was in a desperate need of a shower but she did not have it in her to get up from the floor. She was vaguely aware that she had dried blood caked on her cheek but she could not bring herself to feel distressed. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep.

Alas, the world had other plans. "Go away." Her voice came out muddled from underneath her arms but the message was clear enough.

"The Hokage would like to see you." The voice said ignoring her completely. Sakura sighed loudly. The Hokage couldn't wait, she had to pull herself together for him. Reluctantly Sakura pushed herself from off the wall and slowly steadied herself. She closed her eyes briefly in an attempt to alleviate the spinning in her head before she felt comfortable enough to take her first step.

Minato watched her patiently as she gathered enough strength to walk a few steps without stopping. He hid his frown well. It bothered him that her eyes were unfocused, her breathing was shallow, and that her legs were beyond unsteady.

Even in her current state she was too stubborn and proud to ask for help. She had overdone it again and something told him that she did it often. _'Stubborn woman,' _he thought darkly before he reached out to grab her elbow and successfully preventing her from landing unceremoniously on her face.

She made a small humming noise before she began to lean into him for support. She was more exhausted than she was letting on. "What were you thinking, taking on so much after barely recovering yourself?" Minato chastised her lightly. He should have saved his breath, she was on the verge of passing out. Her brain was more concerned with keeping her awake than processing his words.

As they made their journey to the tower she was beginning to lean into him more and more. He briefly contemplated just carrying her rest of the way but something told him that if Sakura was suddenly jolted that things would end badly for him. He liked his face intact.

She was muttering something under her breath but he could not make it out. He was more or less dragging her at this point. Her legs did not want to hold her up any longer. Minato was convinced that if he let her go, she would have crumpled to the ground in a heap.

He steadied the medic by wrapping an arm around her waist but she barely seemed to register the action. He watched with a down turned lip as she leaned all of her weight against his side. He was essentially caring her.

Minato let out and frustrated sigh while raking his hand through his locks. _'This pace is agonizing.' _ He inwardly whined. If Minato wasn't moving at breakneck speeds he felt as if he was moving backwards but a part of him enjoyed the current predicament he was in. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.

He tenderly brushed a lock of hair from her lips. Her eyes fluttered a bit in response.

* * *

Minato knocked on the Hokage's door louder than necessary. The sound jolted Sakura's head up and her eyes open. She looked around and snarled at Minato before pointing angrily at his arm. He held his hands up in a sign of surrender and opened the door. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Sakura entered behind him with a scowl on her face.

"Minato-kun, Sakura-chan, good I was expecting you." The Hokage looked at the two shinobi in front of him, his face was stern.

They could not look more different than if they tried. Minato, as always, was prim and proper not a single strand of hair was out of place. Sakura on the other hand, looked worse for wear. A third of her hair has escaped her braid, she was covered in blood, and it looked like she was standing because of sheer will alone.

"Sakura-chan, I was informed of your actions at the hospital today. From what the medics tell me you overstepped you bounds and took charge." Sakura visibly cringed at the Hokage's tone.

'_Looks like I'm going to get reprimanded after all.' _ She dropped her shoulders and looked at her feet. She couldn't bear to look at the disappointment in the Hokage's eyes. She just made his life more complicated.

How would he explain her medical ninjutsu to the staff? All he had asked her was to not make waves. He was wanted her to not draw attention and she had done the exact opposite of that.

"I'll do anything to make it up to you, Hokage-sama." Sakura managed to say in a very small voice. Both men heard the hurt in it.

"Anything you say?" The Hokage leaned back thoughtfully in his chair. He fixed the girl with a pointed glance, one that she did not notice because she was refusing to make eye contact.

"You can repay me by taking the position of head medic." He and Minato exchanged knowing smiles. Sakura was too busy wallowing in her shame that she did not hear him.

"I could not be more thankful, Sakura-chan." Sakura's head snapped up to meet the soft gaze of the Hokage. Her jaw hung loosely and her eyes were full of astonishment. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly in shock. "You saved six lives today Sakura-chan. You eased the liability on my head. Thank you." The Hokage dipped his head in the slightest of bows.

"H-Hokage-sama, I was just doing my job! Please don't thank me." Sakura protested loudly. She took an unsteady step towards Sarutobi.

"No Sakura-chan, you did more than your job. Do you accept my conditions?" The Hokage quieted her with his voice.

"Conditions?" Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion. The Hokage chuckled.

"Minato-kun, meet our new head medic Sakura-chan." The Hokage watched with barely concealed amusement. Both men watched in interest as a myriad of emotions played across her face.

"Really?" Sakura said after a solid minute of disbelief. Her throat suddenly dried up as she watched the Hokage reach into a drawer and slide a shiny object towards her. She reached out with shaking fingers and touched the smooth, cold, metal surface of hitai-ate. She grabbed hold of it after the Hokage gave her an encouraging nod.

She blinked back the tears that had gathered at her eyes and bowed deeply to her Hokage. She swiftly tied it on her head with the ease of years of practice. She caught Minato's gaze but she could not place the emotions that were flickering in his eyes. The navy cloth contrasted against her hair.

"Good, now there is another condition that you must agree to Sakura-chan."

"Anything." Her voice came our breathlessly but her enthusiasm was not missed.

"You will train alongside Team Minato. You will teach his student Rin medical ninjutsu. Are we in understanding?" The Hokage asked her gently but he watched her closely.

"It would be my honor." The Hokage nodded at her, he was clearly pleased with her answer. She was giddy with excitement. She had new found purpose, she was needed again. She could finally start her mission.

"Good night to the both of you." Sakura and Minato excited the office without another word.

* * *

Sakura's adrenaline high was wearing off, her lids began to drupe. Minato noticed but let it slide. They continued to walk in silence before something dawned on Sakura.

'_I don't know where Kushina lives!' _She wasn't paying attention when she was dragged to her home this morning. Sakura groaned loudly and tugged at her hair in frustration. _'Kami I'm so beat that I could sleep on the ground.' _It did not sound like a bad idea to her but unfortunately Minato had seen her reaction.

"You're lost aren't you?" He accused in a teasing voice.

"What gives you that idea, porky?" Minato raised his brow at the nickname but felt that an explanation would only confuse him even more.

"Your hair sticks out like a porcupine's quills do. But porcupine takes too long to say, thus I think porky is an excellent alternative." She explained blandly once she noticed his look. Minato shook his head. Her explanation did confuse him more.

"Well bubblegum, that settles it, you're coming with me." In one smooth motion he had swept her up in his arms. He gave a throaty chuckle at the haggard look on her face. She resembled a drowning cat. Her pink locks stuck out in every which way. She clung to the fabric of his vest until her knuckles had turned white.

Sakura closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose. She waited for the wave of nausea to pass before she glared at the smiling blonde. Sakura was about to open her mouth to verbally assault him with a string of curses before she thought better of it. _'I'm too tired for this bullshit.' _

She finally just gave into her body' innate desire to curl up against something warm and she let herself fall asleep against his collarbone. Minato was pleasantly surprised that the woman in his arms had not punched him through a wall, a feat he was convinced she could easily accomplish even in her current state.

The surprise was soon replaced by irritation because that meant she was in even worse condition than he imagined. He looked at the precious cargo in his arms and sighed. He had a feeling that he would be sighing frequently with her around. He ignored the way her breath tickled the skin of his neck.

Even though he could easily teleport them to his house, he took his time. He had an inkling that he should enjoy these peaceful moments while he could because after all, the woman in his arms was a firecracker. She could explode at any given moment and without much warning.

Minato silently entered his home and gently lowered Sakura on to his bed. He peeled off her boots and put them near his door. He retrieved a small damp towel and gently scrubbed the crusted blood from her cheek.

He briefly contemplated changing her shirt but he did not want to give her an excuse to hit him and he also did not want to give her a reason to call him a pervert. He tucked her in soundly and placed a feather light kiss on her forehead. "Night, bubblegum." His voice was barely above a whisper and the woman did not even stir. With one backward glance he looked on as her chest rose and fell evenly before her made himself comfortable on his couch.

He knew that he should be annoyed at having to take care of another human being-a ninja no less. Yet he couldn't keep the big content smile from off his face. He fell asleep promising to let the pink haired woman sleep in. The soft sounds of her snoring in the adjoining room made his home seem a little less empty.

* * *

Please review!


	7. Nine to Five

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Warning: contains spoilers, blood, and language**

* * *

Hello my dear readers,

I'm really glad that you liked the last chapter. I want to let all of you know that this is a long story so I won't be rushing the development of Sakura's and Minato's feelings. Rest assured that there will be plenty of moments for those two, but things won't be easy for them.

Thank you to all those who took the time to review, favorite, alert, and read last chapter. You guys are really amazing and keep me motivated to write more. I will try to update weekly because I want to keep the quality of the story as high as possible.

Please enjoy and review. Until next time!

~L.H.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Nine to Five **

Rain.

Sakura inhaled a deep breath and enjoyed the scent that surrounded her. She snuggled her face deeper into the sheets and let out a content sigh. The faint comforting smell of a damp forest alleviated the throbbing in head and she felt the pressure behind her eyes ease up some.

Sakura risked opening a jade eye and surveyed her surroundings. She was in a respectable sized room that was spare of redundant furniture. She liked it. It was minimalism at its best. Sakura was never one for extra luxuries. She was a ninja. She had to be accustomed to sleeping on the floor as much as sleeping in her own bed.

Her internal clock told her that it was about six in the morning. She burrowed her head further into her pillow fortress. She only had five hours of sleep but she knew that there was no use in staying in bed. Once Sakura was up, she was up. Besides, she had promised herself that she would get back into shape. Her current level of fitness was laughable for a shinobi. Academy kids could easily beat her in a foot race.

With a soft sigh she pushed herself up onto her elbows and gathered enough resolve to get out of bed completely. She didn't know where she was but she wasn't too worried. She was safe as long as she was in Konoha. She stretched her hands above her head and touched her toes. She stretched until she heard her joints pop.

She wrinkled her nose at her shirt, she had slept in it. The once vibrant orange top was now dull and crusted. It stuck to her frame in an uncomfortable manner.

While she was stretching something had caught her eye. She made her way over to the nightstand and reached for a note that she assumed was left for her.

_Morning bubblegum! _

_Didn't want to wake you, you don't seem like a morning person. The old man said that you're expected at the hospital at nine, try not to be late._

_I left breakfast for you on the counter. If you need to contact me I'll be at training ground six with my team. You can start training Rin-chan tomorrow. _

_Yours, _

_Minato._

_P.S. I've drawn a map to Uzumaki-san's house on the back. _

Sakura repressed a growl at his note. She could practically visualize the wide smile he must have had on his face. The part that really riled Sakura up was that the bastard had known where Kushina lived this whole time. He could have easily dropped her off last night.

It took all her self control to not rip the letter into tiny pieces. She ignored the way her heart fluttered at the use of the word 'yours'. She refused to let herself obsess over why the idiot had chosen the words he had.

Sakura let herself into the small bathroom that was attached to the room and waited until she calmed down. It was weird experiencing something other than numbness but she welcomed it, all of it. She splashed cool water on her face before she took off her shirt so that she could wash out the blood stains. She fought back a shiver as the cool air touched her bare skin.

Sakura watched dully as the water in the sink turned from brown to red to finally pink before disappearing. Sakura wrung the orange garment with her hands before she pulled it over her body again. The dampness of the cloth did not faze her. She was planning on working up a sweat anyway.

She started at her reflection and almost did not recognize herself. The woman that stared back at her had life in her eyes, her cheeks had color, her hair was lustrous- albeit messy, and the three markings on her forehead almost had a glow to them.

She narrowed her eyes to get a better look at them. She was used to the Yin-seal, the seal had been a part of her for over five years but the new orbs would defiantly take some getting used to. _'Great even my forehead is getting crowded'. _She thought sullenly as she began the laborious task of undoing and redoing her braid.

She passed by the kitchen and found the breakfast Minato had mentioned. She planned to just eat a piece of toast but once she has polished it off she realized that she ravenous. 'I _can't train on a full stomach.' _She spared the plate of food a longing glance before she walked out the door. '_I'll have to thank Minato for his hospitality.'_

* * *

She hit the ground running.

Sweat was cascading down her arms, neck, face, and back. She felt gritty and dirty but she loved it. She hadn't gotten in a solid training session in years and it showed. All her muscles protested from the abuse she was putting them through but she relished it.

She relished all of it. She had worked so hard to get to where she is in now and she got here with blood, sweat, and ocean's worth of tears.

She had been at it for a solid two hours and she figured that would be enough for a day. She left the training grounds feeling accomplished and so much better. She followed the directions that Minato had given her and found Kushina's apartment with little incident.

She waited patiently after knocking on the door. The deep rich wood of the door spoke volumes of the type of place in which Kushina lived in. Sakura was disappointed at herself for not recognizing such a distinguished building. She could not dwell long on her lack of observation skill because in a blink of an eye Sakura found herself at the receiving end of a bone crushing hug.

"Sakura-chan!" Sakura winced at her louder than necessary tone. "I was so worried! You just upped and vanished. Don't do that ever again, dattebane!" Sakura lowered her eyes guiltily at the hurt and worried expression on the kunoichi's face. The red haired woman looked every bit the part of a worried mother hen.

"I'm sorry Kushina-chan. I'm fine though really, it won't happen again." Sakura looked at her apologetically. She smiled sheepishly at the woman before her. She wasn't accustomed to telling someone where she was headed and what she was doing. It was nice to have someone worry about her, for a change.

Kushina puffed her cheeks out in frustration and planted her hands on her hips firmly. "You promise?" She asked fiercely.

"I promise." Sakura said with equal fierceness. She was relieved that Kushina's cold exterior melted away with her words. The woman's hands instantly left her hips and they loosely pulled Sakura in.

"Good, now let me show you your room." Kushina beckoned the girl to follow her up the narrow stairs. "Ne Sakura-chan, where did you sleep last night?" Kushina looked over her shoulder to scrutinize the younger kunoichi.

Sakura fidgeted slightly on her step before answering. "The hospital, and I got a job there." To her pleasure her tone was light and utterly convincing. It would not do to tell the redhead the full truth. If she had any hope of uniting Naruto's parents her little sleepover should not be mentioned again. It was frightening how good she was getting at lying to people.

"Really?" Kushina's face brightened at the news. "That's great Sakura-chan." It sounded so sincere coming from her.

"Yeah, now I can finally start paying for rent and groceries around here." Sakura said with equal enthusiasm. She looked forward to the day that she could start pulling her own weight.

Kushina stopped abruptly on her step and turned back to fix Sakura a glare. "I'm not letting you live here so that I can collect rent ya' know? I may have agreed to the Hokage's request because I sympathized with you but I meant what I said at Ichiraku. You're my friend, Sakura."

Sakura stared at her with wide eyes. Kushina's tone and thought process had completely blindsided her. She realized that Kushina was waiting expectantly for her to say something with her arms crossed over her chest.

"No! No! That's not what I meant at all Kushina!" Sakura hurried to explain herself. "I just want everything, all the responsibilities to be divided equally amongst us. It's really important to me to get back up on me feet. You understand right?" Sakura looked at her pleadingly. Kushina felt her anger dissipate.

"Sure thing Sakura-chan. Sorry that I blew everything out of proportion, dattebane" Kushina laughed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head in a very Naruto-like manner.

"So are we good?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"We're great!" Kushina held out her fist and Sakura bumped it instantly. The two women grinned at each other in the middle of the staircase.

* * *

Sakura felt immensely better after showering. She had borrowed another shirt from Kushina again but thankfully it was just a simple white v-neck. She also donned identical black shorts to the ones she wore yesterday. _'I need to go clothes shopping today.' _She did not know how much longer she could get by, by raiding Kushina's closet. Her host was incredibly generous but Sakura felt that she was pushing it.

Sakura shoveled down whatever she could get her hands on. Kushina just watched her in a mix of awe and slight disgust. After her meal Sakura bid her friend good-bye and headed off to work.

* * *

The second she passed through the doors of the hospital she felt her arm being tugged and before she knew it, she was being dragged down a hallway by a medic who was talking a mile a minute.

Sakura looked at the tiny woman-even by Sakura's standards- with black frizzy hair, thick black glasses, and grey eyes push her way through the halls. "I'm sorry, who are you?" She asked once the other woman had come up for air.

"My name is Akikio, Sakura-san." The woman dipped her head slightly. "Sorry we don't have much time for introductions. Hokage-sama already explained everything to me." Akikio assured whilst never breaking stride. _'Wish he explained it to me,' _Sakura thought humorlessly.

She made sure to memorize what direction she was being led. This hospital was older and vastly different than the one Sakura worked in. The halls were dingier and narrower than she remembered. After Pein had leveled Konoha the hospital had been completely remodeled from the ground up. She barely recognized this place.

Akikio had stopped moving and led (shoved) Sakura into a room. "This is your office Sakura-san. Hokage-sama gave me your bonus." She shoved a pouch of money into Sakura's limp hand.

"Please let me know if you'll need anything." Akikio left quickly after. Sakura stared in horror at her office. She saw a mountain of papers resting on top of what she assumed was a desk, she wasn't sure she couldn't see anything but white. The office resembled more of a jail cell than anything else. But perhaps the look and feel of it was accurate. Sakura had a feeling that she would spend countless hours trapped in this very room with no hope of escape. She groaned, somehow she had been scammed and she could almost picture the Hokage grinning manically behind his desk.

* * *

Sakura officially hated her job. This hospital had no rhythm or reason to it. It was quite literally in pandemonium. No wonder people had clung to her every word. These medics were starved for structure.

Sakura's day had begun with her holding a meeting for her staff. She had introduced herself to a roomful of new and slightly familiar faces. She pretended not to notice the way the older medics looked down their noses at her. She would have to gain their trust and respect but she was ready to do just that.

Tsunade had lost complete faith in her healing abilities and left the hospital to it's own devices. It was a miracle that place was still standing and functioning after all this time. The hospital had been without a head medic since the death of Dan. The Hokage could not find any medic apt enough to handle the responsibility. Konoha had been once known for its medics and revolutionary healing techniques. Sakura made it her personal mission to restore the hospital and Konoha's reputation to its former glory. Sarutobi had trusted her with the task and she would not let him down.

She had then gone about restructuring the hospital's hierarchy and protocols. The flow of the hospital resembled what it would have been like eighteen years in the future, when she was more or less running it before the start of the war. She had completely guttered and slashed the old status quo of everyone doing their own thing.

The medics had been doing a horrendous job of keeping records up to date. Patient files were often mislabeled and had valuable data missing. The medics were not used to having answer to anyone other than themselves and they certainly did not have to fear getting punished for their half-assed attempts.

But she was going to change all that. If someone went against her rules then there was going to be hell to pay. She would not tolerate disobedience because there were too many lives at stake.

Did she mention it was only her first day? She got more done in a couple of hours than people had gotten done in days. All the hospital needed was steady, enforceable rules and she gave it just that.

* * *

A knock on her door interrupted her from her work. She looked up and was surprised to see a young girl at her door. She had a cute face, kind brown eyes, short brown hair and distinct purple markings on her cheeks. Sakura furrowed her brows this girl was vaguely familiar. "Can I help you?" Sakura asked her pleasantly.

The girl hesitated before she took a tentative step into her office. "Hai. Minato-sensei said that you would be teaching me how to become a medical-nin." The girls seemed to be gathering confidence the more she went on. She looked at Sakura hopefully. Sakura put down her pen and sized up the girl before smiling.

"You must be Rin?" The girl nodded. "I wasn't supposed to meet you until tomorrow, right?" Sakura asked gently. The girl looked at her feet as if she had been admonished.

"Hai. I'm sorry for bothering you. It's just I was really excited to finally be useful to my team." She mumbled the last part but Sakura's ears had picked it up. Her heart swelled and her eyes softened. _'Oh Rin-chan,' _Sakura thought sadly as she took in the girl's hunched shoulders and shaking fists. It was like looking a mirror, almost. She had once been in the same position this girl was in now. She could easily sympathize with her pain.

"Tell you what, I need new clothes. Would you care to join me?"Sakura asked her kindly. She watched as the girl looked up at her with surprise.

"S-shopping?" She asked confusion clearly written on her face. Her tone implied that Sakura had asked her something absolutely outrageous.

"Yep. I'm not from around here so how about you help me find some clothes and then we can buy some medical supplies for you, sound good?" Sakura grinned at the girl's timid expression. It was clear to her that she was eager to learn but Rin's shyness was keeping her from answering right away.

She had a feeling that Rin lacked a strong female role model in her life. Sakura had her mother, Tsunade, and Shizune to look up to. But this time was different, everything was more male dominated and oriented. It made sense that making kunoichi feel empowered was not a priority during times of war. Sarutobi had his heart in the right place but he was still a male. Most shinobi did not comprehend the additional hardships and unfair stigma that their female counter parts had to overcome on a daily basis.

Silly things like equality and building confidence amongst the female population was a strain on resources that Konoha could not afford. Whether Rin knew it or not Sakura was ready to give this girl someone to look up too, and some to come to for guidance. Everyone needed a mentor and if the girl would allow it, Sakura would be hers.

"Okay." The girl said firmly which caused Sakura's grin to widen. She had a feeling that she will get along swimmingly with this girl.

"Lead the way Rin-chan." Sakura was excited she was finally back to doing normal things and the best part was that she had a pocketful of money that was just begging to be spent.


	8. Slit Throats and Broken Noses

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Warning: Contains Spoilers, language, and blood**

* * *

Hi everyone,

I Just made it through my first week of school! I already miss summer, but I'll get over it soon enough. There's nothing like the stress of classes to keep your mind from straying too far. As I promised, I have updated with in a week. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. There's finally action in it.

I read all of your reviews and thanks a billion for all your kind words. I was a bit surprised that a couple of you were looking forward to reading about Sakura's and Rin's shopping trip but I never intended to write about it. Maybe in the future I'll add a short oneshot about how it went?

Anyways, Minato is finally back in this chapter. So on with the Minato and Sakura drama. Please enjoy and leave your thoughts. Until next time!

~L.H

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Slit Throats and Broken Noses **

Sakura secured her wet locks into a messy bun with senbon. She glanced at the clock overhead. She still had fifteen minutes before she was supposed to meet up with Minato's team.

Her morning workout left her muscles sore and tired but it brightened her sprits. She was finally getting herself back into her normal routine. She had missed the structure in her life and just having someplace to be at a set time filled her with ease.

Sakura munched on her apple while she wrote a quick note for roommate. If her loud snores were any indication, Kushina was still fast asleep. It didn't surprise Sakura that the loud redhead was a heavy sleeper. She was Naruto's mother.

Without another glance at the clock Sakura quickly finished her apple and made her way outside.

* * *

Kakashi was the first to notice her. He cocked an eyebrow at the sight of her. She tilted her head to the side in response. _'Kakashi's always been a looker I see.' _

"Who are you? What do you want?" He asked rather rudely. Sakura was taken a back at the condensing tone of his voice. She smirked. Her Kakashi would never risk using that tone with her. He had learned that lesson the first time. She would just have to teach baby Kakashi a thing or two.

Before Sakura could open her mouth to answer, Kakashi was wacked in the back of the head. She grinned thankfully at Minato, who just nodded in response. Rin looked absolutely horrified that someone had struck her teammate. Kakashi scowled at the two adults while rubbing the sore spot behind his head.

"Aren't we missing someone?" Sakura looked at the trio intently. She was more than a little surprised to be waiting for someone who wasn't her sensei. She ignored the suspicious glances young Kakashi kept throwing at her.

Rin rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance. "Yeah, Obito's late like usual." Sakura's eyes only widened a fraction but Minato was quick to pick up on it.

"He's the one who found you." Minato supplied but Sakura was too deep in her thoughts to register his words. Minato took her distraction as an opportunity to study her.

She was clad in a formfitting black vest, short plum colored bubble skirt with two slits, black spandex shorts, leather gloves, and her trademark boots. She looked good he concluded. She was beautiful and deadly, everything a good kunoichi should be.

_'Obito, I need to protect that boy with my life.' _Sakura's eyes hardened with fixed purpose as she made a silent promise to herself. She wouldn't let anything happen to him. She owed that to Kakashi, Minato, and the fate of everyone in the future.

"Oi! Sorry I'm late!" A loud obnoxious voice snapped her back into reality. She watched as the boy ran towards them while frantically waving his arms. Sakura raised an eyebrow. '_Don't Uchiha's specialize in being quiet and broody?' _

"Obito-baka, what's your excuse this time?" Rin gave the boy a disapproving look that made the boy's large smile wither a tad.

"Rin-chan, I was busy helping my elderly neighbor put away groceries and the time got away from me." The raven haired boy chuckled nervously while he rubbed the back of his head.

Rin just rolled her eyes. Kakashi scoffed and muttered something at the boy which led to a confrontation. Sakura tried to ignore the shouts of "baka" and "teme" for as long as she could, but patience was never one of her strong suits.

She glanced at the other members of Team Minato for help. Rin and Minato seemed content to let the boys tucker themselves out but that would take too long for her liking. Sakura rubbed her temples before bringing her fingers to her lips.

Her ear piercing whistle broke up the scuffle. Both of the boys turned to look at her with wide eyes. Sakura planted her hands on her hips and scowled down at them. She was inwardly pleased that both boys looked visibly shaken. She quickly bopped both of them on the head before beginning her tirade.

"Enough! You guys are teammates, act like it! Obito stop running at every opportunity to get at Kakashi's throat. Kakashi stop goading him along and stop being such a bully! If I have to break up another fight before the end of this training session I will nail both of you to a wall, upside down. Are we clear?" She was so done with this juvenile behavior. She had spent to better part of her genin days acting like a mediator between Sasuke and Naruto and she had gotten her fill. So much so, that she was good for the next few lifetimes.

Both boys nodded their heads in unison without hesitation. "Good. Now that that's out of the way, I'm Sakura! I will be joining your team part time as your medical-nin." She said smiling brightly at them. Rin was gawking at her with what Sakura recognized as respect and awe. Minato looked at her pleased; clearly he had been testing her.

Sakura shrugged at his expression and proceeded to help the chunnin and newly minted jonin to their feet.

She watched at Obito's eyes widened comically. "Hey you're the pretty lady from training ground three!" Obito pointed at her and looked to his sensei for conformation. Minato smiled in return.

"That's right Obito-kun, I am. I didn't get a chance to properly thank you for saving my life." Sakura said slowly in a very innocent manner. She brought a gloved finger to her chin and tapped it thoughtfully. _'It's not every day that you get to tease an Uchiha.' _

Obito felt his face heat up at her words. "It's nothing I was just doing my job…" He trailed off embarrassed. She watched as he kicked up the dirt near his feet. He was making this too easy for her.

"Still, you did save my life. Thank you Obito-kun." Sakura bent down and planted a quick kiss on the boy's cheek before she ruffled his hair. She couldn't help herself, the boy reminded her so much of Naruto.

Obitio's blush intensified tenfold and he couldn't keep the goofy grin off his face. Sakura hid a smile behind her hand at Rin's scowl. '_Interesting.'_

"Well now that the introductions are out of the way. We can begin." Minato clapped his hands together loudly to gather everyone's attention.

"Since we will be working together it is only fair that we see Sakura's fighting style. Obito, Rin, Kakashi your responsibility is to analyze Sakura's strengths, weaknesses and give-a-ways, okay?" Minato's eyes studied his students before they met Sakura's. "Ready?" He asked her with a soft smile. _'This'll be fun'._

Sakura nodded before she vanished in an explosion of petals.

* * *

_'Damn it all.' _She had gotten more than she bargained for, how was she supposed to keep from embarrassing herself? He was the Yellow Flash for crying out loud! As a further handicap she couldn't use her true strength because Kakashi would likely figure it out.

She had been in such haste that she had tripped over a root. A bloody root had nearly taken her down. Her lacerated knee stung painfully as she crouched in a large oak. She bit her lip to clam herself down. She regulated her breathing and kept her chakra perfectly masked as she surveyed her surroundings. A devious smirk crossed her lips as a sudden idea came to her.

* * *

Minato stood calmly looking at the area the pink haired kunoichi had previously occupied. He willed himself to remain calm, there was no use in letting his emotions dictate his moves. He inhaled deeply before vanishing. '_Got you, little cherry blossom!' _

Sakura only had a split second to jump out of her tree before kunai embedded the bark. She mentally cursed. He had found her so quickly. Sakura arched her back to land on her feet gracefully and in the back of her mind she registered Obito's order to "kick Minato-sensei's butt."

She quickly reached into her pouch for a smoke bomb and used it for a cover to escape. She needed more time for her plan to work.

* * *

Minato sighed impatiently. "How long are you going to keep this up, bubblegum?" He asked no one in particular. '_Well if you're hiding, I'll just have to flush you out.' _Minato set his mouth in a firm line of determination before clasping his hands together. "Futon: Blade of Wind Hurricane." The winds around the training ground became harsher and more violent. The trees swayed dangerously and the sky darkened ominously. The winds gathered in a tornado and at the center he saw a flash of pink. He couldn't contain his satisfied grin when he heard the pink haired kunoichi curse loudly and drop into the clearing.

She slowly got to her hair had escaped and was spilling down her back in waves. Some of her locks stuck to her sweaty brow. Her cheeks were flushed red in anger. She looked absolutely radiant. She glared at him before she whipped the blood from the gash on her forehead. Shallow cuts marred her legs and arms.

Minato ignored the tinge of guilt he felt and quickly pressed his closed the distance between them and began a barrage of kicks and punches. Sakura expertly dodged all his attacks. She knew that he was holding back. She did not have a prayer against his Thunder God Technique. Once she found an opening she ducked down and swept her leg underneath his feet. It was a futile effort in trying to make Minato lose his footing and he saw right through it. Sakura hurled herself on her hands and had to do a back flip to avoid being hit by his kunai. She threw back some of her own kunai as a distraction.

She began to rapidly make hand seals before her gloved hands turned a faint blue. Minato pressed his advantage to land a solid blow on her stomach but Sakura had managed to graze his leg before her momentum sent her toppling backwards into a tree. Minato frowned at the limpness of his left leg. "What did you do?" His voice had a hint of complaint in it. _'No one's ever injured me this much before,'_ he even couldn't keep out the excitement from his thoughts.

"Chakra scalpel, all the tendons and muscle in your leg have been torn" Sakura said breathlessly. She whipped the blood from her chin with her hand. Her green eyes studied him closely. Minato narrowed his eyes before he vanished only to reappear behind her. His superior speed even with his bum leg astonished her. Sakura somehow managed to duck in time to catch his fist and dislocate his right shoulder by sending a wave of chakra up his arm. She did not have the opportunity to capitalize because the blonde vanished once again.

* * *

Sakura let out a frustrated growl and set about partially healing the gash on her head. She was having trouble seeing straight. She pushed a stray lock of hair from her face and planned her next move.

* * *

Minato allowed himself to collapse against a tree. With a grunt he grabbed his shoulder and popped it back into place. He bit down on his knuckles to keep from crying out. He waited for white spots in his vision to vanish. A smirk graced his features, he had been right, this was a lot of fun.

* * *

"She got his shoulder good. Sakura-sensei has the advantage." Rin said solemnly. She liked Sakura but she had known Minato longer so naturally her loyalties lied with him. "I knew that she was strong from when I saw her! Sakura-sensei has this all locked up." Obito looked on with his hands behind his head. His facial expression was very smug. "Idiot, there's no way that Minato-sensei will lose to someone like her." Kakashi said dully. He ignored the looks of confusion on his teammate's faces and looked on. _'Stop toying with her sensei and finish her off'. _

* * *

Sakura heard movement behind her so she quickly jumped in the air to avoid contact. _'Damn. I only heard him because he wanted me to hear!' _She landed safely on her feet before she looked at her opponent. She vanished with a popping sound. Minato's eyes widened a fraction when he realized something was off. His suspicions were validated when he was suddenly ensnared in vines. The green vines snarled around his limbs and his neck. They held him four feet off the ground. He struggled against the rope-like foliage but that only served to make them tighter. They bit angrily into his skin.

He locked his eyes on a giant bean pod that emerge from the ground. A large slit opened in the pod revealing a head of pink hair. "Genjutsu clever, when did you set it?" Minato asked in an impassive voice. It gave her the impression that he wasn't impressed at her display.

"Right before your hurricane jutsu tried to rip me to shreds." Sakura replied dryly from inside the pod. She did not waste any time to press the blade of her kunai against his throat. "Submit." Her voice was devoid of emotion but her eyes held fierceness that made his heart to skip a beat.

"No." She raised her eyebrows at him. Minato just smiled coolly at her before Sakura's eyes widened. She felt her arm being lurched painfully behind her and her face being pressed up against bark of a tree. Her lip split from the contact. "Genjutsu is useless against a shadow clone." Minato's voice taunted her in her ear_._

_'I was fighting against a clone? How could I've been so careless?' _Her self-belittling was cut short when she felt cool metal being pressed up against her neck. She closed her eyes and ground her teeth. She was very aware that Minato was pressed up against her and it was doing horrible things for her thoughts. She should have been worried about the kunai pressed against her neck but all her brain wanted to focus on was the warm body pressed up against her back and the knee that was in between her legs. '_Damn.' _

"Yield, Sakura." His voice was dark and it sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. She had felt the movement in his chest when he has spoken the words. She stubbornly pushed aside her confused feelings and defiantly glared back at him the best she could.

"No." She was mocking him. His grip on her arm tightened and he pressed even closer against her, completely pushing her up against the tree. Sakura set her jaw and counted to three. She felt Minato relax his hold against her, he was under the impression that she was about to give into reason and give up.

Sakura was not a reasonable person. She set her face into a mask of indifference as she cocked her head back as hard as she could. She grimaced at the shallow cut the kunai made across her throat. She smiled gravely at the sickening crunch of a broken nose. Her captor's hold on her vanished as he quickly covered his bloody and broken nose in his hands. He blinked back tears and seethed at her. "Whabt da hel ber uoh thunkfngh?" He said through the pain. Even though his words weren't distinguishable his anger was easily identified.

Sakura sighed shortly before she ripped off her gloves with her teeth and shoved them into her pouch. She turned to him. "Here let me see." She called out gently. She felt guilt settle in her stomach at the distrusting look that crossed Minato's eyes. "Stop being such a baby and let me see it!" She finally snapped after he failed to move. He was still refusing to move, so she came to him. She carefully pried Minato's hand from his nose and set about fixing it. She healed his nose with little effort, though she did have to ignore the vicious glare he was giving her.

She made a movement to begin healing the damage of her chakra scalpel but Minato's hand stopped furrowed her brows and she set her mouth in a hard line. "I need to heal you." She said in an exasperated tone. She tried to pull her hand away from his grasp but he held on tight.

Minato just shook his head and glared at her coldly. He pointed to her neck and said "heal." Well, more like demanded. Sakura blinked at him confused before she brought her free hand to her neck. She was surprised to see the amount of blood covering her hand. '_I guess it's worse than I thought.' _She inwardly mused before her fingers were clocked in a soft green glow and she set to work. Minato wanted closely at the wound began to close before it vanished altogether.

She made another attempt to heal his leg but he just shook his head again and pointed to her forehead silently. She sighed defeated before she healed that too. Minato watched with a cold fury as she coaxed him into a sitting position and began to work on his leg. He glanced over her shoulder and was pleased to see that his students had enough sense to say away from him. Sakura looked like she wanted desperately to escape and tried to do just that once she was finished but Minato still held tightly to her left hand. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He repeated again making sure that the proper amount of anger laced his words. Sakura flinched at his tone. She found herself unable to look away from his stormy gaze.

* * *

"Sakura-sensei is in a lot of trouble." Rin whispered as she watched the scene from afar. She could practically feel Minato-sensei's killing intent from over a hundred meters away. It was suffocating. "Yeah, I've never seen him this mad." Obito agreed quietly. His heart went out to Sakura-sensei but there was nothing he could do. He liked her, he liked her a lot but she needed to learn her lesson. Kakashi just surveyed the scene in silence.

* * *

Sakura took a deep breath and forced herself to form words. His eyes had darkened significantly in their fury. "I was thinking that I had a spar to win." She smiled weakly. Maybe humor would take the edge off his anger. His eyes narrowed into slits and the grip on her wrist became painfully tight, maybe not.

"Wrong answer. Try again." He said flatly. It would be hard to tell that he was angry. His face was completely neutral but his eyes, oh they were on fire._ 'You're stupid, thoughtless, rash, thickheaded, dense, foolish, brainless, senseless, stupid woman.' _He was cursing her to hell and back in his head.

Something inside Sakura snapped. She wrenched her hand from his grip. She ignored the brief shock that crossed his features. "You know what Minato? I was thinking that I have a spar to win. Newsflash, I am not some child that doesn't weigh the risks. I'm a freakin' ninja! I knew that the kunai wouldn't kill me. You had me in a fix and I made a decision. And I stand by it. I hate to lose especially against people who are supposed to beat me." Her eyes blazed dangerously with so many emotions that Minato could not name them all. His shock momentarily quelled his anger as he took in her words.

"I was thinking that I can't be useless, not this time. Not ever. I promised myself that I would not be a burden to my teammates anymore. I can't rely on people to always save me and if you had been an enemy ninja, I would have done the same damn thing. I do not want to be a burden to this team." Minato felt his mouth dry at her sudden depressed and dejected tone. She looked so broken in front of him and it cause a knot to form in his stomach. '_Useless, where is this coming from?'_

He didn't have long to analyze it because Sakura was making to get up. He grabbed a hold of her arm before thinking and looked her dead in the eye. "You are not useless and you will not do something like that again." Sakura felt her words die in her throat at his tone. It was so authoritative, demanding, and raw that she could only nod her head in agreement.

"Good, now bubblegum, would you mind teaching Rin-chan?" His teasing smile brought Sakura back. And just like that the tension was gone along with the killing intent. She could breathe again. She glared at him before she turned on her heel. She pretended to not take satisfaction in the fact that her braid had whipped him across the face. She practically dragged Rin by the collar for training. Minato watched her with a wide grin on his face. This woman was trouble and he had every intention of figuring out if she was the good or bad kind.


	9. Girls Night Out

Warning: Contains spoilers, suggestive themes

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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Hello Everyone,

It's been another week and so here's the next installment of the story. Thank you so much for your kind words.

When I first wrote the story I wanted it to be something unique and creative from me. I truly enjoyed most of the Minato and Sakura stories that others have wrote and their amazing work has partially inspired this particular story.

All I want to say is thank you for your amazing support. If you guys did not read and review than I would have lost motivation by now. Thanks for making my day and I hope this new chapter is up to your standards. Please enjoy and leave your thoughts. Until next time! ~L.H.

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Chapter Nine: Girls Night Out

She felt dizzy.

Sakura ignored the headache that was beginning to form behind her eyes and continued to demonstrate the mystic palm technique. It had been over a week since her spar with Minato. The close contact with him had resurfaced strange feelings in Sakura and she had decided that the best way to address her problem was to avoid Minato at all costs.

She had been dropping subtle hints to Kushina about Minato ever since day one but they seemed to do no good. The woman's lack of attention span was something to really marvel at. She still needed to hammer out the details of getting Kushina and Minato together and until she figured them out, she needed keep her interaction with Minato at an absolute minimum. It was easier said than done. She saw the man every day and she worked by his side every day. But as a small victory she had managed to skillful avoid being alone with him. She used Kakashi, Rin, and Obito as buffers. It was pitiful that she was resorting to using the pint-sized trio as her makeshift security blanket. They kept her safe from being alone with big, bad, scary Minato. She planned on protecting them from harm, so the least they could do was protect her from their insane sensei and, to an extent, herself.

The boy's were oblivious to most things but even they had noticed her fidgety behavior when ever Minato was within spitting distance. It was embarrassing how the mere sight of him would cause her head to spin. And Kami forbid if she was close enough to smell him, she was sure that she would melt into a pink and black puddle of gooey Sakura. It wasn't healthy the way he made her feel. And what ticked her off more was the fact he was completely calm, cool, and collected around her. The ease and familiarity he addressed her with was irksome. It made her blood boil.

With one smile he could turn her into a docile, meek, little girl. It was like Sasuke all over again, only this time it was far worse. He was supposed to be bothering a certain redhead and not making Sakura's life an incredibly long and nerve fraying game of hind-and-go-seek. She had never been good at the game. She was a ninja so naturally she was supposed to specialize in stealth. But she had pink hair, for crying out loud! She stood out like a sore thumb, thanks to her hair and now her freaky forehead markings. She knew that one day this charade would end but until that moment arrived she would continue avoiding him like the plague. She would rather have the plague, anyway. At least she knew exactly what she was getting with the deadly disease. Minato was a complete mystery to her and Sakura dreaded the unknown.

"Sakura-sensei, I think I get it." Sakura blinked and her hands instantly stopped glowing. She watched as Rin's hands became cloaked in a dark green light as she pressed them against a fish. She registered the whooping and hollering of Obito and Kakashi in the distance, well mostly Obito. Kakashi seemed too reserved and polished to be making such a ruckus even at this age. The boys were sparring again, under the watchful eyes of their blonde sensei.

Sakura was beyond thankful that they were out of sight. She had convinced herself that they were so far from the others because of Rin. The girl needed to eliminate as many distractions as possible. She told herself that the distance had nothing to do with Minato and getting the hell away from him. But deep down she knew that she had picked this specific spot because _she_ was the one who needed to eliminate distractions, _she _was the one who needed to think clearly.

Rin was making good progress, the girl had a knack for control but it was applying her knowledge that had been the challenge. "You're pouring too much chakra. If you keep that up you'll burn your patient's skin and burn yourself out, Rin-chan." Sakura reminded gently. So far Rin had only managed to get the fish to twitch once. Rin nodded her head and immediately reduced the flow but instead of keeping a steady level, her chakra fizzled out.

"Looks like you're at your limit Rin-chan." Sakura stood up and stretched her tired legs. She had been sitting for too long. Rin sighed and stared dejectedly at the fish. Disappointment was clearly etched in her features. Sakura put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "You're doing really well, Rin-chan. I'm proud of you." That served to brighten the girl right up. Sakura noted the faint blush that marred her cheeks.

"Thank you Sakura-sensei." The girl said happily. Her chocolate eyes glistened with enthusiasm.

"I'll be at the hospital if you need me. Be sure to review those scrolls okay?" Rin nodded her head in promise. With a slight wave Sakura left the training ground. She didn't even bother to bid farewell to anyone else, she would have to get close to Minato to do that.

* * *

"You look tired Rin-chan." Obito plopped down next to her. He rested his arms on his raised knees. He was drenched in sweat, dirt covered his cheeks, his left eye looked a bit swollen but he was smiling. Obito was always smiling. _'For me,' _Rin noted sadly in her head.

She felt guilty that she had not progressed enough to heal his battle wounds. But she would be ready to when it really mattered. Rin would not lose to the boys. Sakura had inspired her to keep fighting to be on equal footing with them. Rin nodded weakly at him. "How'd the spar go?" Judging from his face, he had lost but she was certain that Kakashi wasn't that much better off.

Obito grinned widely at her. His dark eyes crinkled in delight. "It was great! I managed to land a hit on Kakashi's face. He'll have a black eye for weeks!" Rin was too exhausted to reprimand at Obito for damaging Kakashi's face and she was also too tired to point out that Obito will also be sporting a matching black eye, if he didn't get it looked at soon. The boy was clearly reveling in his accomplishment and she let him.

She bit her lip. There was something on her mind and she needed to voice her fears. "Do you think they'll be okay?" Rin asked her teammate nervously. She turned her head fully to look at him. She needed assurance that everything was going to be okay. Obito had always been good at making her feel better.

"I hope so Rin-chan, I hope so." Obito's face fell into a serious expression. It looked so out of place that it startled her. The knot in her stomach grew. Even Obito could not bring himself to provide her with false hope. He had no idea if things would ever straighten themselves out. Both shinobi looked in the direction that Sakura had left. It was no secret that she was avoiding their sensei for some reason. They just wanted everything to be less awkward.

* * *

Sakura rubbed her tired eyes and let out a yawn. Things at the hospital were finally running smoothly but she still had a huge amount of work to do. Every since her first day here she hardly even slept at home. She was more used to the couch in her office than the bed in Kushina's guest room.

The mountain of paperwork on her desk was unrelenting and unforgiving. It had been piling up for years. She learned, earlier this week, that her position had been briefly held by another medic. He lasted half a week. The chaos of the hospital, the barely qualified staff, and God awful hours had broken him. She was aware of the rumors and betting pools that involved her. The staff was counting the days on their fingers to when she would eventually crack. They were convinced that she too would not last long. But she was a stubborn creature and once she started something, she finished it.

She bit back a curse as she stubbed her toe against her desk. On many different occasions her friends had noted that Sakura was too clumsy to be a ninja. They often joked at her expense for this very reason. But the joke was on them because she was the only one who had outlived them all. Or maybe the joke was on her, after all? It hurt to be the only one left from her age group. The only silver lining was that they would eventually come back. She would be older than them, but that was a small price to pay for their well being.

Sakura's door was thrust open with a loud bang. "Sakura-chan!" The medic turned her attention to the source of the commotion and smiled.

"Kushina, good to see you." Sakura began before her face scrunched up in confusion. Kushina was glaring at her. Had she done something wrong? No, she'd hardly been around to do anything to anger her housemate.

"Damn straight it is. Sakura, I haven't had a full conversation with you in days. Days, dattebane! I'm sick of hearing excuses. We are going out tonight." Her voice was border lining on annoying. Kushina always knew how to play her cards right, much like her son.

Sakura felt herself being hauled up to her feet. She saw there was no use in arguing with Kushina when she got into one of her moods. The feisty redhead was right. Sakura had been neglecting her friendship with her. So she put her best smile on and allowed Kushina to fuss over her outfit. She was such a good solider that she didn't even protest (much) when Kushina roughly pulled her hair out of her braid and hiked up her skirt several centimeters.

* * *

"We're having fun tonight Sakura-chan, lighten up!" The jinchuuriki shoved yet another drink in Sakura's hand. She needed to take it easy or she would be severely hung over tomorrow. Rin wasn't advance enough in her studies to cure a hangover yet, so Sakura would be on her own to suffer through it. She doubted that Tsunade could be bothered to cure a hangover. The woman spent the majority of her adult life hung over. Sakura would have thought that she would have developed some sort of jutsu to combat it, but she was sadly mistaken.

By 'we' Kushina had meant Uchiha Mikoto, Inuzuka Tsume, and Nara Yoshino. It was a bit of a mind trip to be having drinks with her friends' mothers but she found that she was enjoying herself. It was the first time in a really long time that she simply allowed herself to unwind and have fun. Tsume's eyes twinkled dangerously as they searched Sakura's face. The pinkette's palms began to sweat instantly. "So Sakura, there's a little rumor going around that Minato has a thing for you." Tsume grin bared her canines and Sakura found the grin to be absolutely predatory. Sakura felt her face heat up (from the sake or the comment she wasn't sure). The pinkette was very aware of the eyes of the woman at the table.

She snorted and waved her hand in dismissal. "Who porky? No, he's just a big flirt. He's got a thing for everybody. Although he does like some more than others," She winked at Kushina and the sound of laughter chorused around the table. She was pleased that her lie had been convincing enough. The alcohol already in her system and her friends' systems helped immensely with the believability factor.

"So you're saying that you're available?" Yoshino pressed. Shikamaru was right, this woman was a nag. Sakura nodded her head, distractedly. She threw her head back and let the bitter liquid burn its way down her throat. She finds everyone much more agreeable once she had a few drinks in her. "So you'll go talk to that guy, who's been making eyes at you since we arrived?" Sakura looked over Yoshino's shoulder at the man that she was gesturing with a discrete tilt of her head.

"He is pretty cute." Mikoto hummed appreciatively. Sakura found herself agreeing with Mikoto. The man has a mop of chestnut hair and big, beautiful violet eyes. He had a kind and welcoming face. From her vantage point she could tell that he was a shinobi. His broad shoulders and toned biceps were especially appealing. "You should go talk to him." Mikoto gave Sakura an encouraging smile.

"But it's girls night," she protested halfheartedly. Her eyes never broke gaze with his.

Tsume snorted at her feeble attempt. "There's a hot piece of guy looking at you and you want to stay here and get drunk with us? We can do that any other night, now go." The woman gave her a wicked smile.

"I suppose there's no shame in flirting and getting a few free drinks, ne?" She met Mikoto's dark eyes and smiled crookedly at her. The alcohol was giving her new found courage. _'Flirting is completely healthy, it never killed anyone.'_ She reasoned to herself. It all sounded like a solid idea in her head.

"Mou, why does Sakura-chan get all the fun?" Kushina pouted good-naturedly and elbowed the pinkette in the ribs. Sakura gave her a bite less glare before she attempted to smooth down her hair. Her braid had transformed her once straight locks into wavy pink tresses.

"Do I have anything in my teeth?" Sakura asked the Uzumaki in a low voice. Kushina shook her head and gave her friend a subtle thumbs up. The brunette caught her eye from the other side of the bar again and smiled openly at her. She waved lamely back. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," her voice was filled with hesitation. Her brain was beginning to think rationally again. "I'll just embarrass myself." She whispered under her breath at her companions.

"Nonsense!" Yoshiro replied while yanking Sakura to her feet. Tsume patted Sakura on the shoulder heartedly and gave her a soft shove towards the man. The encouragements from her friends had reestablished her earlier confidence. Without a backwards glance Sakura crossed the distance of the bar, slide into the seat next to time and batted her eye lashes playfully. She had left her self-consciousness, shame, and fear behind.

"She's good," Yoshiro pointed out. The remaining woman watched in silence. Their eyes critiqued the situation closely.

* * *

"Hi there," Sakura said in what was purposely a flirty and disarming tone. The man was receptive, he immediately smiled.

"Can I get you a drink?" Sakura smiled coyly at him, _'we have a gentleman on our hands'. _She nodded slowly. She waited patiently while he went to get her drink. She grinned back at her companions but she a tad annoyed to see them blatantly watching her. The alcohol had made them sloppy. They weren't even bothering with stealth. Her frown raised into a smile when her eye candy came back.

"I'm Masaki and you are?" He asked pleasantly. Sakura found his voice to be very soothing.

"Sakura," she answered breezily. She was making a show of taking another sip of sake. She did not want to get too carried away. She would defiantly regret it tomorrow.

* * *

She found herself genuinely enjoying Masaki's company. He was a fellow jonin who specialized in lightening release. He was funny, sweet and extremely handsome. She was aware that her friends had left. When Mikoto was your designated kunoichi the party ended early but Sakura knew that her friends would get home safe.

She did not even need the aid of sake to feel comfortable in his presence. Her buzz had completely worn off but Sakura was riding a different kind of high. She didn't even mind when Masaki's hand causally touched hers or how he seemed to be hanging off her every word.

"So they're overworking you, huh?" Sakura smiled. The man really had been listening to her instead of just feigning interest with the alliterative motive of getting in her pants. And she found that refreshing. She had been hit on enough during the war. Some of her sleazy comrades had seen her as a quick lay and that mind set had changed rapidly once she punched a handful through several trees. She had been forced to heal them after the fact but it had been worth it.

She missed just having a conversation with another shinobi. It was almost a different language when she talked to men. She usually reserved topics such as politics, battle tactics, and weaponry for men. Her usual female company of Ino, and Hinata did not seem to enjoy talking about those things and she missed having an outlet. Sometimes things were just simpler when she had a casual conversation with a new acquaintance. She did not have to worry about the possibility of tripping over her own web of lies. It was less messy by not letting someone get too close.

"Yep, but it's nothing that I didn't sign up for. Been on any missions lately?" She asked him with enthusiasm. She had been confined in Konoha since her arrival. She was desperate for news about the outside world. Masaki smirked playfully at her.

"Sorry, you don't have the proper clearance." His playful tone urged her to tease back.

"Oh, and here I thought only ANBU took on missions that required that much clearance," she causally flipped a lock of hair behind her shoulder. His purple eyes followed the movement.

Masaki closed his eyes and shook his head solemnly at Sakura. "You, young lady, are sadly mistaken." The graveness of his voice filled her with glee. She laughed at his words.

"'Young lady?' What are you, like, forty?" Her laughter died down when she realized that Masaki's laughter was not joining hers. He was too busy staring. His eyes were locked on her forehead. She felt anger that had been repressed for over a decade. Sakura may have changed in many ways, but she was still self-conscious about her larger than normal brow. "Do you need more time?" She asked him icily.

Her sudden change in disposition caused his eyes to flicker down to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry?" The confusion in his tone was not fabricated. He really was confused.

"Do you need more time to stare at my forehead? Or have you already thought up of a witty and original insult?" She glared at him heatedly and Masaki would be lying if he said he wasn't a little scared.

Instantly Masaki composed himself. He rushed to explain "no, no! I wasn't making fun of you. Honest," he quickly added once he recognized her suspicious look. "I think that your forehead is cute. I really like it, it suits you." He smiled easily at her and she felt her face flush.

She returned his smile with an embarrassed one. "Sorry, I kinda have a temper." She bit her lip timidly at her admission. She had spent years trying to hide the monstrosity that is her forehead. She just assumed that Masaki was like those cruel children that had tormented and bullied her over it. She had let her emotions get in the way of her logic. Sakura had prematurely labeled and judged the man before her, and that realization made her sick to her stomach.

"I think I like that in a woman," the look in his violet eyes made her dizzy. She gripped the table to steady herself. The butterflies in her stomach threatened to make her airborne.

"You think?" She asked in a breathless voice. Her bright jade orbs meet his periwinkle gaze. She felt her heart lurch enjoyably. This was more than she had bargained for. She was just supposed to laugh, giggle, and smile her way out. She never intended to see this man again after tonight but she found herself unsatisfied with her original plan. She knew exactly where this conversation was headed and she wanted to go there. She wanted to go where this man was planning on taking her. She wanted more than just a casual encounter at a bar. She wanted a relationship. He nodded his head seriously at her. His eyes pinned her to her spot. Nothing else mattered, no one else mattered.

"I've never met someone like you before. You're beautiful. Your loveable forehead makes me want to kiss it." It was a corny, cheesy, jaded, overused, misused, and predictable line. But it sounded too sincere, honest, and meaningful coming from him. She believed him, she wholeheartedly believed him.

"What's stopping you?" She asked him in a voice barely above a whisper. Her half laden eyes stared into his clear violet orbs. She decided then and there that purple was her new favorite color.

The spell was broken when she saw Masaki's eyes suddenly widen and his whole frame freeze. "Masaki are you okay?" Sakura asked out gently. Her feather light touch on his shoulder caused him to jerk away from her.

Sakura looked at him questioningly and followed his gaze. Her expression turned into one of surprise when she suddenly found herself staring at Minato's blistering gaze. "Min-Minato?" She cursed herself for fumbling his name. He looked like he was ready to kill. '_Do something happen?' _Her heart stopped for a split second as the thought crossed her mind. Her stomach dropped. Something must have happened, something bad. It had to be really awful to make the normally sunny, welcoming, kind blonde look so volatile, and hostile.

"Sakura-san there's an emergency at the hospital that requires your attention." His voice lacked complete emotion but his eyes, kami his eyes said it all.

Sakura straightened herself out and nodded. "Masaki, I need to go now but I had a really nice time. We should do this again." Sakura smiled warmly at him. From her vantage point she couldn't see the glare Minato was subjecting poor Masaki too. In her haste she didn't even think twice about the look of pure unbridled fear on the brunette's face.

She smiled stunningly at the lightening user and let Minato steer her out of the bar with his hand on the small of her back. It had gotten more crowded from when she had come in. She had been so engrossed in her conversation with Masaki that she hadn't picked up on it. She also did not notice the possessiveness of his hold or the way he was glaring at every man at was foolish enough to look at Sakura the wrong way. No Sakura was too busy going into medical-nin mode to notice her companion's antics.

* * *

"Minato." Sakura called out breaking Minato's dark thoughts. He was currently on method number fifty-two on how to kill a certain someone, in the most painful way possible.

He blinked and looked back at her inquisitively. "The hospital's that way." She pointed over her shoulder. Minato was leading her in the wrong direction.

"What?" He frowned in confusion_. 'What is she going on about?' _Method number fifty-two was just getting to the good part when she had interrupted him. The brunette was in the process of being digested slowly by Gamabunta's corrosive stomach acid. It was slow, painful, and a smelly end. It was also his favorite one so far.

The only remorse he had was that he was not personally responsible for it. But it would have to do. It would not look good for his chances at making the rank of Hokage if they could trace Masaki's death back to him. Gamabunta's stomach would make sure that there would be nothing left to identify the poor chum. Yes, method fifty-two was a real keeper.

"The hospital. You know the place that you said requires my attention." Sakura said slowly as if she was talking to a difficult child.

"I never said that." He replied before he could stop himself. He was too far gone in setting his plan into action. Sakura froze in his grip. She attempted to twist out of his hold but he held her tightly against him. His hands on her hips trapped her against his chest.

"Yes you did." Sakura said firmly, only barely managing to keep her anger in check. Her green eyes narrowed threateningly at him. _'You so much as breathe the wrong way and I'll paralyze you for life,' _they seemed to warn him.

"I needed an excuse to get you out of the bar." Minato admitted. His calm gaze met her enraged one. It was only half true but she didn't need to know the details. He quickly added "we have a mission tomorrow," when he sensed that she was about to deliver on her threat. In her anger she failed to notice just how close to his face she was. All he had to do was dip his head slightly and their lips would be touching. He pushed back the thought as soon as it raced in his head. Sakura had a strange ability to read his mind sometimes and he defiantly did not want to give her a valid reason to level him.

"Mission?" All her anger had subsided as she looked at him. He knew that he had her complete attention. Her hair felt soft as silk against his hands. He nodded hesitantly. He would not let his guard down least she try to punch him. He still had his arms wrapped around her waist but they both knew that was for show only. She could break out of his grip with minimal effort.

"Regarding Iwa." Sakura felt her mouth dry. This was the mission, the mission that devastated the future. The mission ruined Kakashi's life. Without thinking, Sakura grabbed the fabric of Minato's shirt and balled her hands into fists. She took calming breaths to cure the jittering of her arms and legs.

"When do we leave?" Her voice came out harsher than she intended but she did not have time to worry about Minato's feelings.

"In six hours. Get some rest." Minato reluctantly let go of her and watched her leave. Something about her reaction had confirmed his suspicions that this mission would be a dangerous one. He looked at the overcast night sky. The sun would rise in a few hours time. Trying to get sleep at this point would be useless. He ran his hand roughly through his hair. His mind was already focused on the mission.

* * *

Sakura practically sprinted to the apartment she shared with Kushina. She entered her room silently and began to pack. She had at least five hours of rest but she knew that sleep would not come to her. Sakura was used to functioning at high levels with little to no sleep or rest. She would manage.

She packed her supplies in record time. She made sure to check them twice and then once more. No one would die if she could help it. She closed her eyes and crossed her legs on her floorboards. She waited for her heart rate to slow down and for her head to clear. She needed to detox her system of any lingering drops of alcohol. She needed to be at near peak condition for this. Too much was riding at stake for her to get sloppy.

Three hours, she mediated for three hours before she decided that she could not take anymore. She took a cold shower to fully wake her senses and took extra care braid her wet locks tightly. She could not afford a distraction. She bound her chest as tightly as she could before she donned on her black vest. She pulled her skirt, shorts, and backpack afterward.

She left Kushina a note on the kitchen counter and headed to the main gates. She paced silently for two hours before Minato arrived. He had the same hard look of determination on his face. They nodded to each other and they both did not bother with words. Her mind was completely occupied with her task that she did not even realize that she was alone with him yet again.

Kakashi was the first of three to arrive. He noted Sakura's presence with silence. Rin arrive ten minutes after Kakashi with the look of sleep still in her eyes. She offered a sleepy smile to Sakura and Sakura tried her best to return it. Obito arrive late as usual but no one found it in them to reprimand him. The mood was too solemn for that. Without another word Team Minato began their mission.


	10. Redemption

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Warning: Contains spoilers and mild language  
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Dear Readers,

Another week has come to an end so you all know what that means, another chapter! If you guys thought I was evil for leaving you with a cliffhanger than you're going to think I'm absolutely demonic for what I have planned for my later chapters( Like this one). :)

Whenever I get a new review, favorite, or follow it really makes my day. All of you, who continue to read, support, and like this story make me so happy. And you continue to blow my expectations out of the water. Thank you for being so kind and understanding. I promise to try my best to keep you all interested and entertained.

So this chapter is the infamous mission. It occurs in most MinatoxSakura stories. I tried to make it least redundant and predictable as possible. Honestly if I could, I would have avoided it all together but it's a really important event in Kakashi's past and no story would be complete without it. So bear with me for the next few chapters.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy. And please leave a kind word, thoughts and opinions or two. It's my birthday month so as a special request, I am asking all of you to tell me what you're favorite chapter so far is and maybe explain why in your reviews. Thank you in advance and I look forward to reading them.

Without further ado, the story. Until next time!

~L.H.

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Chapter Ten: Redemption

Hours.

The forest whizzed past them in blurs of dark green and brown. They had been traveling for hours at an unreasonable speed but none of them opened their mouths in protest.

Sakura's legs burned but she kept a tight lip. They were deep in enemy territory so staying in one spot for too long would certainly invite trouble. It was during the waning hours of morning that Minato deemed it safe enough to stop. The rest of the team watched with glum faces as he pulled out a map. He highlighted the bridges that they needed to destroy.

He explained their mission objectives to them and it was at that time he announced that he had a separate mission of his own. Sakura ignored the looming dread that was approaching. She would be responsible for them. This mission was increasingly becoming real, the longer the day dragged on. Everything was finally about to start and this was her first real test.

Minato's eyes flickered over to hers. He had seen the unease in their depths but he did not comment. He appointed Sakura the leader of the mission and no one complained, not even Kakashi.

It was then that Minato pulled the silver haired boy aside and had given him a three pronged kunai as his promotion gift but Sakura knew that it was more of an assurance policy. It comforted her some. Minato would be within reach but hopefully they would not need him. Her gut told her otherwise. With solemn looks Minato left his team to complete his own assignment.

Sakura put on her best mask and smiled brightly at the younger shinobi. "Shall we?" They nodded and headed for the trees once more. She needed them to stay as calm. Despite their ranks they were still only twelve year olds. The shortage of chunnin and jonin during the Third War forced the genin to move up the ranks at alarming rates. Skill wise they were barely at low chunnin level. Naruto and Sasuke were probably stronger than Rin and Obito at this age.

* * *

The silence around the forest was defining. It gripped her heart and squeezed painfully. Sakura's suddenly felt her stomach drop. They had taken the route that was the most difficult and dangerous. The path was littered with twists and turns, valleys and peaks. Sakura had made certain that she had chosen a path in which an ambush would be the hardest to orchestrate. But they had found them. Iwa had tracked them down despite her careful precautions of not leaving a trail and taking the least predictable paths. They had been zigzagging in the forest for a good eleven kilometers. Yet none of that mattered, Iwa was on their heels and a confrontation would be unavoidable. She came to a complete halt and her companions mimicked her actions. _'Might as well face them head on.'_

"I think this is a good place to rest as any." Sakura sighed loudly and made a show of stretching her arms over her head. She knew that her group had sensed the enemy's presence. Or she hoped. Rin yawed and set down her pack. She rolled her neck to her left while she darted her eyes around the clearing. Her fingers hovered over her kunai pouch, almost casually. The gesture reassured Sakura, Minato's team was sharp. Obito studied the dirt under his nails. His pinky twitched slightly.

The four Konoha ninja leaped in the air in time to avoid a barrage of kunai and shuriken. Sakura was the first one to recover. She glared at the figures hidden in the trees. The Konoha ninja turned their attention to the man who was clapping loudly. "Impressive, your little charade had us really going there." A bulky man with a harsh face sneered down at them. He looked powerful, but Sakura hoped that looks were deceiving.

"They're just a bunch of brats." A lanky brown haired man said. Sakura trained her eyes to both her opponents. She needed to keep Team Minato alive. Her time with Shikamaru had taught her to plan three steps ahead of her enemy. Her brain was already coming up with possible scenarios but most of them did not end well for her lot.

"Just hand us the girl and we'll be on our way." A shorted blond said in a raspy voice. Sakura furrowed her brow. '_Rin, they want Rin?'_

Sakura calmly assessed the situation, she was in a jam. She had no doubt that she could take them one-on-one but defiantly not all at once. She had been expecting them but they did not give her enough time to set a counter strategy. She had only known that they were coming, not when or where. The need to protect Rin complicated matters even more. She really did not like her odds but she had little choice. "Obito watch Rin's back." She said softly the boy nodded at her moved away from her and stepped in front of the brunette.

She spared Kakashi a glance, she would need him. There was no way around it. Kakashi would have to engage in combat with the enemy. Kakashi turned to look at her waiting for orders. Sakura nodded at him giving him the all clear.

"Sorry fellas, I'm afraid I can't give you what you want. So what's it going to be?" She twirled a kunai carelessly in her fingers. Her green eyes had already seen the coiled muscles of her opponent. They weren't as laid back as they were projecting. A small smirk formed at her lips. Maybe she was getting worked up for nothing.

"Why you little bitch, I'll kill you first." The blond snarled and charged at her. He came at her with impressive swiftness but she had grown accustomed to Minato's speeds. This blonde was light years behind the Yellow Flash.

"Mahiru!" His companion barked but it was too late. Sakura found herself surrounded by twenty shadow clones. She grinned, she couldn't believe her luck. She put her hands together in a familiar seal and ten clones of her own popped into existence. She tightened her gloves and readied herself for impact.

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Kakashi threw a kunai at the lanky ninja and seized him up. _'Genjutsu type, eh?' _His strength ran directly against Kakashi's weakness. Kakashi's ability to dispel genjutsu was proficient enough but he struggled with detecting it. He needed to be extra cautious or he would not make it back to Konoha under his own power. The silver haired teen launched shuriken from his hand and watched closely as his opponent dodged them with ease. _'For a Genjustu user he moves well,_' Kakashi thought to himself. His opponent was a true jonin. He would not go down without a fight.

Excitement budded in him. Finally, he would be able to test his skills against an admirable adversary. His sensei was completely out of Kakashi's league but then again, Minato was out of everyone's league. This man provided Kakashi with a fairly accurate benchmark of how far he had come.

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_Flashback: _

_"Sakura-chan you need to take it easy," Naruto plopped on to the ground next to the pinkette. Sakura glared up at the night sky. Every part of her body was throbbing and judging from her companion's voice, he was as energetic as ever. _ _She grunted in frustration. Learning such a basic jutsu took so much out of her. The shadow clone jutsu was harder to master than any medical jutsu she learned because it required a different skill set. Chakra control came easily to her but for this jutsu she needed large chakra coils not perfect control. She was severely lacking in terms of chakra capacity. _ _It was disheartening that after a solid month's worth of training she could only summon four clones. It took too much out of her to summon more than the meager amount. After four the jutsu became a liability more than an asset. _

_"Don't be disappointed Sakura-chan, you're picking up on it really fast." She could hear the smile in his voice. "We'll just gradually increase your capacity. You'll be summoning a dozen in no time!" His cheeriness irked her. _ _Sakura tucked as few chin length strands of hair behind her ear.  
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_"Don't patronize me, Naruto. Just how many clones did you summon on your first try?" She flipped on her stomach so that she could glare up at the seated blonde. _ _She rested her chin in her hands. The night was cool and crisp. It was decidedly pleasant. The soft breeze ruffled through her choppy locks. She would have Ino take a look at her hair, once the blonde had the time. She could image the scowl on her face at Sakura's impromptu hair cut. But her hair had been getting in her way so she had no alternatives but to cut it. She knew that her explanation would not appease Ino's judgmental nature. _

_Naruto adverted his gaze from her almost guiltily. "It's not important." His face fell as he looked off into the distance. "It's not your fault anyway," Sakura stared at him with a furrowed brow and down turned lips. "I'm not a very good teacher." Sakura's heart lurched at his dejected and sad expression on his face. _

_"Hey Naruto," she called out to him softly. She reached her arm out to touch his face. He was still refusing to look at her. "Naruto," she repeated in a pleading whisper. She tapped his chin tentatively. She hated when he got like this. Depression and somber looks did not suit his face. _ _His eyes hesitantly met hers. _

_She had unknowingly caused him to doubt himself. She should have known that the blonde would blame himself for her own shortcomings. She should have realized, by now, that he could never fault her for something or anything, for that matter. "You're the best, dattebayo." She gave him her brightest smile. It came easily for her. He always managed to warm her heart. "We'll try again tomorrow. I'm sure that we'll figure it out, I mean if you're still willing to teach me." She smiled at him hopefully. Over the years she had mastered the technique of boosting Naruto's mood. It really didn't take much once she got the hang of things. _

_His cheek curved up into a smile underneath her hand. He looked at her with so much happiness that she nearly forgot that they were in the middle of chaos, death, pain, and loss. It was almost as if they were back in Konoha without a care in the world. _ _"You bet, Sakura-chan. I'll never give up on you." His eyes had nearly closed courtesy of the smile on his face. She felt her heart flutter at his words. They no longer surprised her but they did serve to fill her with determination. _

_"And I'll never give up on you." She brought his face down with both hands so she could kiss his cheek loudly. "Don't you ever forget, Uzumaki." She trapped him in a head lock and ruffled his hair affectionately. _ _His laughter and playful pleas lured her to sleep that night. _

_End of Flashback _

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Sakura was jolted from her thoughts when a kunai whirled by her ear. She blinked back her daze and punched a clone square in the jaw. A muted puff reached her ears. Sakura had already defeated about half his clones before the bigger man finally joined the fray. They were clearly trying to take care of her before they took Rin for Kami knows what.

It was a sound plan, take the jonin out first and the rest of the team was easy pickings. But they had messed with the wrong team. She would fight like a mad woman for them. She dodged a punch from the real jonin. Her clones were outnumbered against his but they were holding their own. She was more focused on quality rather than quantity and it was really helping her in this situation.

She had spent every moment of her free time during the war getting Naruto to teach her the jutsu. It was incredibly practical when she needed to heal more than one person at a time. Summoning Katsuyu to heal three individuals was not an efficient model and shadow clones were the perfect alternative. Her limit was ten clones at a time without straining too much of her chakra. She winced as she felt the unpleasant sensation of a clone being eliminated. She would never get used to the feeling of one of her own 'dying' followed by being flooded with their memories. She swept her leg underneath the blonde and landed a solid blow. There was no pop or smoke. She was fighting the real deal.

The enemy nin nicked her with a kunai across her cheek. She was getting careless. She pushed the thoughts of Naruto from her mind and focused on her opponent. Sakura found her movements to be sluggish and less fluid. She immediately suspected something was wrong. The air felt heavy and thick, she was having trouble breathing. '_Genjutsu!' _She bit her lip in frustration. She saw the kunai coming but she could not react enough to completely avoid it. It caught her in her side. She hissed in pain but she quickly realized that the sensation was bringing her back.

It was as if the world around her suddenly sharpened. The genjustu had been encouraging her to get lost in her own thoughts to the point that she became detached from reality. The ultimate goal of the jutsu was to blend fantasy with reality until they overlapped to the point that Sakura would be completely ensnared. It was a top tier jutsu that only a select handful could master. The man who had set it was especially apt, seeing that he had set and triggered it without her noticing.

Sakura looked over her shoulder at Kakashi and noticed that he was bleeding and his movements were a bit sluggish, as well. Sakura eyed the thickset man wearily. He seemed content to sit back and watch for now. She hoped to keep it that way for as long as she could. Her opponent was down to two clones and she was on her last one. If the third Iwa jonin joined in on the fight, things would get much worse before they got better.

A sudden cry caught her attention. She watched in horror as the blond slashed at Obito and took Rin. Her eyes widened. How could she have lost track of him? She made to go after the man but Kakashi and Obito required her attention. They were both rendered unconscious. She reluctantly let the men escape with Rin. The brunette's pleading eyes propelled her to hurry.

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"You okay, Obito?" She asked the coming to boy gently. He groaned and blinked at her.

"What happened?" He asked still groggy from his head injury. The blonde had caught him on the side of the head with a kick. It was miraculous that Obito's head was still attached.

"We need to move, they took Rin." Sakura helped the boy to his feet. He nodded his head without hesitation. He winced instantly. His sudden movement had jarred his injury. Sakura placed a green hand on the crown of his head and the pain melted off his face. "Ready Kakashi?" Sakura turned back to find the jonin glaring at her. He remained rooted in the spot that she had left him in.

"The mission" he said tightly. His arms were crossed and his body had a defensive stance to it. Kakashi was digging in his heels and she could tell that he was planning on being stubborn. Sakura sighed loudly_, 'I don't have time for this.' _

"It can wait." Sakura shot back at him. "We need to save Rin. If we hurry, we can catch up to them before they reach Iwa." She looked vaguely to the direction the nin had taken the girl.

"Those who break the rules are scum." Kakashi countered. "The mission always comes first. We're shinobi, we know the risk of taking a mission. Casualties are an accepted part of the job. Blowing up the bridges is the most important thing for Konoha right now so that's what we should be doing. The war is at a stalemate right now, if we do our job and complete the mission things will be swayed in our favor. We have too much to lose by going after someone who was stupid enough to get caught."

Before Sakura could respond, Kakashi found himself of the ground rubbing his sore jaw. Sakura watched with wide eyes as Obito shook with anger over the boy. For a moment she was afraid that Obito would hit Kakashi again. She did not have chakra to waste on healing injuries the boys dealt each other. "Those who abandon comrades are even lower than scum." The Uchiha spat at Kakashi. His dark eyes had narrowed into slits. He looked completely different from the usually happy-go-lucky boy she knew him to be.

"Comrades always come first! Rin in our teammate, friend, she's family. How can you turn your back on her? She would never abandon you, even if it meant her life. How can you call yourself a jonin, if you fail to realize something as basic as the importance of saving a teammate?!"

Sakura felt her heart swell with pride for the Uchiha._'Atta boy Obito.' _

Kakashi stared at the boy in stunned silence."I respect what your father did. He did the right thing by going back for a comrade. You should be proud of him, he was a hero." The Uchiha's eyes had softened as he helped the silver haired boy up.

"Obito's right. Rin is more important than the mission. I promised myself that I won't let any of my comrades die." Both boys turned to look at her with varying degrees of surprise. They had forgotten that she was around to witness their argument. "Let's go." She had managed to place her chakra signature on each of the younger members of Team Minato in case something like this happened. She concentrated on that small speck of chakra on Rin. It would lead her right to the brunette.

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Sakura and the boys watched silently waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They looked down at the enemy from a small opening at the peak of the rock shelter. They were in a cave and that complicated matters for rescuing Rin. The enemy was protected on all four sides thanks to the cave's walls so that only left an aerial attack or underground barrage. Neither Kakahsi nor Obito knew any earth jutsu so that limited their options to a strike from above.

"Is it true that they're going to use this little thing? Maybe the boss meant the older one?" The lanky brunette questioned the pacing blonde. His dark eyes followed the restless blonde's footsteps. Sakura could make out the three nin surrounding the unconscious and bound Rin. They had her covered well but they had yet to sense them. She wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"You heard the boss, Kiri wants this girl. With their help, we can finally defeat Konoha's dogs. Besides that older one wasn't in our scouting report." Sakura narrowed her eyes and pressed her finger against her lips as a silent order for the two boys. They had to be quiet, for Rin's sake. She needed to figure out what they wanted her for.

They were talkative which was very good news for Sakura. She had only gathered bits and pieces from Kakashi's history. Naruto had been surprisingly unwilling to divulge on the details. Each and every time she had pressed, his eyes had taken on a glassy sheen and he responded by telling her that 'it wasn't his story to tell'. She needed as much information as possible if she wanted to ensure everyone's safety.

"Still, she's incredibly weak. What use can she possibly be to us?" Sakura shot the seething Obito a warning look. Her icy stare compelled the boy to calm down. If he charged in now, that would only lead to disaster. A good ninja endured and Obito had to learn that lesson sooner or later.

"That's why she's perfect. She's too weak willed to fight back against the Three-Tail's hatred. Once she's back in Konoha, she'll wreak havoc on the village. She'll kill all her loved ones and then this blasted war will finally be over." The blonde responded in an impatient voice. His eyes darted to the location above Sakura' head, he had almost seen them.

Sakura ducked down lower and the boys followed suit. Even their breathing was nearly silent. Sakura's heart froze as her brain processed the information. Now it finally made sense why Kakashi looked so pained whenever Rin was mentioned. Kakashi had been forced to kill Rin because she posed a threat to Konoha. And in the short amount of time Sakura had spent with the girl, it was probably Rin's idea. The kindhearted chunnin probably could not live with the knowledge that she was chosen to destroy her beloved village from the inside out. She would do something selfless like that.

Sakura was now the one shaking in anger. Obito looked at her with confusion in his features. Of course he would not understand the magnitude of the situation, the boy lived a sheltered life as an Uchiha. She looked at Kakashi. His wide eyes alerted her to the fact that he did understand. Time was not on their side. They could not wait for Minato. They would have to save Rin themselves. The direness of the situation had just escalated to new heights. The Iwa nin were probably waiting in this grotto until they could safely rendezvous with Kiri nin to hand Rin off. If the Kiri nin in managed to join them the the chances of saving Rin would plummet even more than they already had. They needed to act, and they needed to act now.

Sakura found her opening, she threw smoke bombs into the cave and waiting for the smoke to completely surround and disorient the jonin. She used that moment to descend on her opponent heel first. Her kick missed its mark but served as a distraction. While the Iwa jonin struggled to get their bearings from the minor quake, Sakura had managed to grab the unconscious Rin and haul her to a safe location outside of the cavern.

She entered the fray as soon as she was certain Rin was well protected. The cave was unstable Sakura noted with a frown. They needed to get out of there and fast. "Kakashi you take the shadow clone guy. Obito you think you can handle the big one?" She only needed him to hold him off while she finished the lanky one. Obito set his shoulders in determination and nodded at Sakura.

"I got this," he said with grim confidence. She found herself believing in him. Sakura turned her attention on the genjustu user. He would not get the jump on her this time. The man charged at her with a kunai. Sakura noted that his taijustu stance was full of holes. It looked good on the surface but she had trained with the best. Lee's taijutsu was on a completely different level than this guy's. All the sleepless nights she spent in pain would finally pay off. She was watching him come at her in slow motion. She struck her foot out and caught him in knee.

The brunette managed to prevent himself from landing on his face. He swiped wildly at Sakura as he got to his feet. Sakura felt her foot slip in a soft pool of mud that she had failed to notice. His kunai scrapped against her collarbone as she fell. She landed on her hands but luckily, she hadn't broken anything. She glared at the smirking man before she got upright.

She registered in the back on her mind that he had managed to trap her in a complex genjustu once again. One that he must off placed the moment the blonde had taken notice of them. They were better than she had initially thought. She slowly wiped the mud from her cheeks as she planned her next move. The kunoichi stopped the flow of her chakra immediately, only to release it all at once. She broke out the jutsu and she disappeared into the floor of the cave. The earth opened up to swallow her.

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work!"She heard his voice snarl from up above. He was all talk. She detected the fear hiding behind his hubris words. A genjutsu user was only as good as their taijustu and his hand to hand combat skills let much to be desired. He was a sitting duck as long as she could avoid his line of sight. Sakura ignored the smugness of his voice and focused on forming the correct hand seals. She only had one shot at this and she was determined to get in right. She stood directly below him as she formed the last seal.

"Doton: Earth Corridor!" Kakko watched in horror as the earth around him rose. He was completely trapped in a small caravan with the pink haired woman. There was no place for him to run. None of his comrades would be able to come to his aid. The top of the new cave's walls touched the peak of already existing cave. He was completely sealed off to the outside world. "This ends here!" She had closed him off from using his illusions. The walls of the earth were sucking away his chakra. As an added bonus, she was keeping out of his reach. Sakura needed a jutsu that would kill him from afar. She could not risk getting to close to him in case his clothing was layered with genjutsu.

But she also needed to be mindful of her surroundings. The cave was shaking around her. The air tasted like smoke and to her dismay she had a suspicion why. '_Obito you really are a baka.' _Her heart plummeted when she heard an achingly familiar chirping of electricity through the thin walls of her jutsu. If she survived this ordeal she would have to kill Obito and Kakashi herself. Those idiots were unobservant but this was getting ridiculous. They should be aware of their surroundings but it was clear to her that they could care less.

Sakura made a sting of seals before shouting "Doton: Earth and Stone Dragon!" A vastly scaled back version of her dragon charged at the petrified man and tore him apart. '_One down,' _she thought as she checked for her opponent's pulse by sending a thin stream of chakra to his fallen form. The man's eyes had rolled back into his skull. She was certain that she was not being misled by an illusion. With a flick of her wrist, the corridor rumbled back into the ground.

Sakura watched Kakashi as he gained the upper hand on his opponent. He plunged his glowing hand into the blonde's chest. The blonde's eyes lost their luster. They stared back at her lifelessly. The cave was becoming increasingly weak and to her dismay no one else seemed concerned. In fact, Obitio was still blindly spitting out fireballs. She had to duck to avoid taking a fireball to the face. A low growl ripped through her throat as she took in the scene around her.

Realization suddenly dawned on her. The Iwa nin had no intentions of making out of it here alive. They had every intention of either meeting Kiri at a rendezvous point and handing the girl off or causing a cave in to kill Konoha nin if a confrontation occurred. The cave had been bait to draw them in, and there was little chance of them getting out. It was a win-win in the eyes of Iwa.

Sakura saw everything happening painfully slowly. Kakashi had already finished off his opponent. Obito with his newly activated Sharingan located and killed his opponent. It was at that moment that the cave began to crumble in on itself. The bulky man had slammed a jutsu against the walls before he was killed.

Small pebbles began to pelt her skin in a rhythmic reminder that they were in grave danger. Each pebble that hit her, mocked her. She would not make it. She would fail. They would fail.

_'We won't make it.' _

She was beginning to give into the doubt in her head. They would die. The pebbles were speaking the truth. The two idiots were too busy grinning at themselves to notice the falling rocks. They had their arms around each other and were beaming at their triumphs. She wanted to pummel them but she also wanted to pat them on the back. She was so proud of them. They had come so far as teammates. They were everything Sasuke and Naruto couldn't be. They were happy and that eased her burden.

'_This is for you, Kakashi-sensei. I can finally repay you.'_

"Doton: Earth Dome!" She smiled. She had somehow managed to complete the seals. She watched relieved as a dome covered the boys from the falling rocks overhead. She had made sure to reinforce the strength of the jutsu. It had taken more chakra but at least she was assured that they would survive. Her chakra was useless to her anyway. She would die happy knowing that the people she needed to protect were still alive.

_'Take care of Rin, you two.' _

She managed to dodge a massive boulder that was coming for her head. She ignored the boys' cries of warning. Obito reached an arm for her before Kakashi pulled it back roughly. Obito would have lost that appendage had it not been for the Hatake. The Uchiha's wide, fear ridden eyes pleaded for her to come to them. His lips were screaming her name but she did not hear it. Sakura just heard silence.

'_I've finally done something right. __Rin, Obito, Kakashi, Minato you can all still be happy.' _

She was still grinning when a boulder landed painfully on her torso and leg, effectively crushing them. She had softened the blow with chakra but it was still excruciatingly painful.

_'Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you, to get to know you.'_

She was still smiling even though her teeth were stained red with her blood. She smiled back at the scared expressions on Obito's and Kakashi's faces. She was smiling because they were still alive. Kakashi, Rin, and Obito still had a chance for happiness and she had held up her end of the bargain.

_'It'll get better. I promise.' _

After one last blurry glance at the boys she finally gave into the pull of the darkness.

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What'cha think? :)

Look for an update within a week.


	11. Familiar Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Warning: Contains spoilers and violence  
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Hello Readers,

It has been another week so here's another installment of _Village First. _Hopefully your week wasn't as crazy as mine.

Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes. :)

I would like to begin by pointing out that last chapter received 20+ reviews! What?! Talk about blowing my expectations out of the water. You have no idea how excited I am about that fact. So thank you to all those who took time out of their day to write a few words. It may not seem like much but trust me, they make me so happy. So thank you!

For those of those who worried that the story is over, it's not. It going to be a long, long journey full of twists and turns and loads of cliffhangers. You know what they say about good things coming to those who wait. I'm trying to be as patient as I can to develop the plot, and the characters. I have not intentions to give up on this fic and hopefully, you all will stick with it through the end.

I hope that this next chapter will be as well received as last chapter. Please review and let me know what your thinking. So enough from me, until next time!

~L.H.

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Chapter Eleven: Familiar Encounter

Light.

She felt so light and pain free. She felt completely weightless and if she set her mind to it, she was convinced that she could fly. She wasn't dead yet but it was only a matter of time, why else would she feel so relaxed and burden free? She could lie here forever. She felt warm, safe, and most importantly, satisfied. Nothing could touch her, she was intangible. She was invisible. Time was completely arbitrary in this place. Sakura breathed in deeply through her nose and lay in complete stillness.

But the longer she rest the more intense the nagging in the back of her mind became. She squeezed her eyes tighter and tried to ignore the sensation_._

_ 'You need to get up,'_ Sakura defied the stern voice that sounded around her and continued to lie utterly motionless. It felt as if she was floating, gravity was a thing of the past. Nothing was anchoring her to anything anymore. She was free of everything. Free of stress, ambition, pain, sadness, happiness. She was no longer a prisoner to her duties. '_You need to get up, they need you.'_ Sakura furrowed her brow and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

They who? Was the fleeting thought in her brain before she was placated by the pull of oblivion. She continued to float in sheer content. The nagging voice had left and now Sakura only had sweet bliss flowing through her. 'Get up!' The voice boomed into the stark silence, it nearly started her into an upright position. It was full of authority and regality. Her eyes were still glued together but the nagging was starting to become too powerful for even her to ignore any longer/

Sakura fluttered her eyes open and found herself in the very familiar landscape of her subconscious. She suddenly felt giddy again, the nagging feeling was gone.

Akemi!

Sakura launched herself to her feet and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman for a bear hug. "Hime!" She sang happily with her wild pink locks flowing around her. She lifted the woman off the ground and twirled her for good measure. They were nothing more than a swirl of white, pink, black, and purple in a vast expansion on light. She had missed her.

Akemi patted her back affectionately as her laughter bounced off walls of her mind. Sakura finally pulled away from her reluctantly. "Flower-chan," she said matching Sakura's enthusiasm. "I would ask you how you are, but we both know the answer to that." The kunoichi visibly sobered. The memories suddenly came back to her in an overwhelming wave. She saw everything from Minato leaving, to the first encounter with the Iwa nin, the scared faces of her team, and finally the cave in. The events replayed in her mind like a film. She saw all her mistakes, what she could have done better, and what she could have changed. But sadly she only got one do over in life and she had used it up.

"It doesn't look good for me, does it?" Sakura sat down on the ground and brought her knees to her chest. She tried to comfort herself the best she could. Akemi joined her much more gracefully. Sakura watched disinterested as the white fabric of her dress rippled around her. Akemi's dress reminded her of a white lily, extremely beautiful and equally as delicate.

"You're strong flower-chan, you'll live. Besides you still have a mission to complete." Her demeanor lost its playful note. Akemi looked at her with seriousness. "Please refrain from putting yourself in near death situations." She studied Sakura before adding "or at least keep them to a minimum." A wry smile crossed Sakura's face. They both knew that she was accident prone. Trouble had a nasty habit of following her around.

"Why aren't I feeling pain?" Sakura asked the woman with skeptical eyes. The last time she had been here she had felt the soreness from her injuries. It hadn't been painful but she had felt the discomfort her body must have been experiencing at the time. This time around her injuries were too severe for her to be walking about. She could be crumpled on the ground, moaning in pain. Half of her body was completely under a two ton bolder. Her bones should have been turned to dust.

"I'm handling it." For the first time Sakura noticed the other woman's slightly tight smile and pain laden eyes. Everything Sakura didn't feel this woman felt. She was pain free in her subconscious but once again it came at Akemi's expense.

"I'm sorry." Sakura suddenly felt despicable.

"You can make it up to me by overcoming this, Sakura." The pinkette nodded her head. "Before the boulder made full contact, I was able to shield you partially from the blow. You should not suffer from any long term effects from your injuries, but you need to get help quickly. I cannot keep the flow of chakra going for much longer." It suddenly made sense to Sakura. The boulder should have crushed her completely. What she had assumed was regular chakra was really Akemi's chakra that had cloaked her. The woman's chakra had saved her yet again.

"I'm waking up, aren't I?" She asked sadly. She saw the world before her falter and dim. The light was recede and so was her feeling of freedom. Akemi nodded.

"I say this with the upmost respect, please don't visit me so soon." Sakura grinned at her before the landscape vanished entirely.

* * *

Sakura blinked as she tried to focus her sight. She was seeing everything and nothing simultaneously. She could not make out the shapes and colors that were before her. The only thing she was aware of was that the sunlight was blinding her. She heard loud cursing and soft sniffles off into the distance. The sounds were muffled. It was as if she was underwater and hearing voices from above the surface. She heard sounds but she could not make sense of them. She twitched the fingers of her right hand and a whimper of pain escaped her lips. Her sound led to instant silence.

"Sakura-sensei!" Rin was at her side immediately. Tears streamed down her red, puffy face. She had been the source of the sniffles. Her innocent brown eyes stared at Sakura with so much grief that the pinkette wanted to reach out and comfort her.

"Sakura-sensei," Obito looked at her with hurt eyes. Sakura could see that the boy was holding back tears in an effort to be brave for Rin. Her heart warmed at that. Kakashi was the last one to come in her line of view and even he had a strained look on his face. He was wearing a look of regret and hated it. He looked too much like the Kakashi from her time. Her sacrifice was supposed to finally make him happy. He was supposed to finally be free of the guilt he felt for letting Obito die. He wasn't supposed to look so sad and defeated.

"I can't heal you, I'm sorry." Guilt was etched in every worried line on the girl's face. Rin looked far older than a twelve year old girl. She looked burdened and tired, her hunched over frame resembled that of an elderly woman awaiting her end.

"R-Rin. I c-can heal. R-rock." Sakura managed to formulate enough for the girl's eyes to light up with understanding. It hurt to talk but it hurt more having a large boulder resting on half her body.

"Yatta! We'll get you out of here in no time, Sakura-sensei." Obito said in a voice of new found hope. Kakashi nodded in agreement. Sakura watched in a haze as the three worked together to attempt to push off the boulder. Black spots danced in her line of vision. She was having trouble differentiating the faces of her team from each other as they worked.

_'They're not strong enough on their own.' _Sakura noted with waning hope. She looked at the natural light source. The sun warmed her face pleasantly. It basked everything around her in a soft golden glow. '_Yellow,'_ hope accumulated as an idea came to her. "Minato." The three nin turned to look at her. They looked so sad that it tugged at her heart. They were still children in her eyes and no child should ever look so broken and pained.

"He's not here yet Sakura-sensei." It was Kakashi who had spoken. His voice was coming out strained but his teammates didn't trust their voices.

"K-kunai," Kakashi's eyes widened in realization at her word. He hastily reached into his pouch and pulled out the silk wrapped projectile. Sakura tried to gather her memories in a coherent thought process. She needed to remember how to use it.

* * *

Flashback:

_"Happy twenty-first Birthday, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled brightly at Sakura as he handed her a haphazardly wrapped package about the length of her hand. It was a weapon of some kind, from what she could make out. A charcoal blade was sticking out from the wrappings, precariously. She took note to be extra careful with that end of the gift. _

_Sakura gave him an incredulous look and crossed her arms over her chest. "Naruto, we're in the middle of a war. We have more serious things to worry about than my birthday." Her tone was gruff but joy was building in her. He had remembered despite everything, Naruto had remembered. She had said those very words every year since the war had started and every year she got the same heartwarming response. _

_"Sakura-chan, your birthday will always be important to me!" Sakura couldn't bring herself to act mad or annoyed. He was being so genuine. "Go on open it!" His blue eyes sparkled with excitement. She held the package with shaky hands and carefully opened it. _

_"Naruto this?" She looked at the blonde with a look of disbelief. Her eyes darted from the object in her hands to Naruto. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. _ _The man smiled at her proudly. _

_"Yep! It's one of my dad's. I figured out how his seal works. If you need me at anytime Sakura-chan, I'll come find you!" He finished off excitedly. _ _He searched her face before his own face fell. He mistook her silence as a sign that his present was inadequate. "I'm sorry if you don't like it, Saku-" he had the wind knocked out of him by a sudden hug. _

_Sakura clung to him and her body racked with sobs. No one had ever given her such a thoughtful present before. No one had cared enough too._ _"Thank you Naruto. It's perfect." Her voice was muddled because she was pressed up against him and because she was crying but his heart swelled nonetheless. He tightly wrapped his arms around her and held her. _ _Even in this chaos that was their lives they had found a moment to just be together in each other's arms, feeling safe._

_End of Flashback _

* * *

Sakura signed as she brushed the tip of the middle blade against her bleeding forehead. The once dark metal was completely coated in her sticky blood. She held the hilt of the kunai with a quivering hand. She pulsed her chakra in and out of the hilt of the kunai. It was a distressed signal, one Minato would recognize instantly. Minato would come. She just hoped he would make it in time.

* * *

He looked at the desolate scene in front of him. Bodies littered the ground for miles. Iwa nin that he had single handedly defeated. They had been so confident when they had seen Konoha's numbers but the moment he had arrived, everything changed. He could have tasted their fear in the very air he breathed. It lingered in the wind even now.

It seemed that his reputation preceded him. He did not even need to announce his name for his enemies to start trembling in fear. He was remorseful that he had to kill so many sons, brothers, friends, husbands, fathers but it was either their men or his. And Minato was determined to keep the people he cared about safe, no matter the cost.

His kunai stuck out of every open expanse of land and out of some bodies. He began the laborious process of collecting them. He did not want the opposition understating his jutsu to use it against his village. His fellow nin saw what he was doing and they hurried to help him with clumsily movements. He intimidated them. In his presence even his senior nin were reduced to blundering fools. Only a short list of people could maintain their poise around him and that list was limited to the people he was close too.

Minato pulled out his special kunai from a boy who could not have been much older than Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. He gently closed the boy's open, lifeless, green eyes. The corpse's strawberry blonde hair almost looked pink in the setting sunlight. Instantly the boy's adolescent face was replaced by another thinner, more famine visage with an even skin tone, sharper cheekbones, a smaller nose, and unbelievably long lashes. He blinked his eyes and to his relief the face transformed back to that of an adolescent male.

He ignored the raised hairs on the back of his neck as he continued to gather his weapons.'_They're fine. She's fine.'_ He closed his deep blue eyes and sighed evenly. He was more remorseful that the bodies of the nin he had slain would not be retrieved until a few days later. The proper burial that these men deserved would be delayed but that was out of his hands.

He smiled sadly at the high-level chunnin and jonin that watched him work. They idolized him and the very ground he walked on. He did not miss the way the moral had shifted once he arrived on the scene. In their eyes he was a hero but he felt more like a coward, a traitor. He had left his own students to fend on their own. He was thankful that they at least had Sakura with them. He had witnessed that she was more than capable of keeping both Obito and Kakashi in line, which was quite accomplishment in of itself. As a bonus she was a very skilled healer. She could always patch them together if they got too carried away. He was lucky to have her on the team. She would keep his students alive, he was certain of it.

His shoulder stung painfully, reminding him that he too was human and bled just like the rest of them. He pulled out the weapon-his weapon- from his shoulder with a small hiss. He would need her to take a look at it. The wound was deep and it was bleeding freely now that there wasn't a projectile to hold back the pressure. He would need to show it to her before the wound got infected. He might even need stitches.

He wiped the blood from his hands. He wasn't sure where the blood from his own injuries began and where the blood of the enemy ended. He had faced more nin than the Hokage's intelle had predicted. It was no matter. He had taken care of it and he had done so without losing a single nin from his side. And that was why the Hokage had chosen him for this job. Sarutobi had expected Minato to accomplish the task without dying.

He could not bring himself to revel in his accomplishment. Something was gnawing at him but he couldn't put his finger on it. The sensation was almost akin to a dull ache. He did not know the source or the cause of the feeling. All he knew was that he had to get to his team so that he could finally assure himself that they were indeed alright.

Minato felt a pulling sensation that he recognized was from the kunai he had given Kakashi. He was exhausted but he quickly allowed himself to be reversed summoned to his team. He prayed that they were okay and in one piece.

* * *

It took him an agonizingly long second to realize what he was seeing. Minato blinked his eyes repeatedly in hopes of getting the image in front of him to change. His brain refused to register the blood that coated the ground, the three dead Iwa nin who were poking out of the rubble and most of all, it refused to register the hint of pink surrounded by an ugly brown. His heart stopped at the sight before him. Sakura was half buried alive by massive boulders. The tear stained faces of his team told him all he needed to know."Sakura," he began gently as he crouched down to check the faint pulse on her neck, the woman's eyes were a bit unfocused and darkening by the second.

"Sum-mon he-heal." She said in a broken whisper but Minato understood. He beckoned his students to a safe distance way. He gently swiped off the thick blood from her chin and began the seals for a summoning.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu" he muttered quietly as watched as a massive slug appeared underneath him. The slug took one look at Sakura and called out Sakura's name in a distressed tone.

"I'll heal you at once, Sakura-chan!" The giant slug assured her master and everyone else. Minato hopped off her head and landed by Sakura's side. He watched in fascination as white and blue mollusk threw the two ton boulder off of Sakura with a flick of her tail, as if it weighed nothing. Then he watched with growing relief as the slug divided itself into smaller counterparts and began to heal Sakura's body section by section.

He was so engrossed in watching the process, he barely registered that one had surrounded him and had began to heal his injuries along with his students. He shook his head. "I'm fine please conserve your chakra for Sakura."

The slug on his shoulder looked at him and said, "Naruto-kun, it's alright. I have more than enough chakra." Minato set his face in a hard line. The slug had mistaken him for someone from Sakura's time so he chose not to dwell on it. '_Naruto,' _he repeated the name in his head. It sounded vaguely familiar but he did not have the faintest clue of why.

* * *

Rin watched in dumbfound silence as the slug began to rejuvenate her with strength. '_Sakura-sensei is truly amazing.'_ She watched on as Sakura grew stronger and stronger with each passing second.

Sakura felt her strength coming back. It had been risky summoning Katsuyu but she had little choice. It was refreshing to know that someone had recognized her, really recognized her. Summoned contracts lived in an alternate universe and their idea of time was not the same as humans. While Sakura had changed the course of the future by coming back into the past, she had done nothing to change the future, present, and past of the contracts. The scroll that she had signed the contract with in blood was safely put away in the Land of the Slugs. It had been unaffected by her little journey.

Besides, Tsunade had a fear of blood so she would not be rushing to use Katsuyu's services any time soon. The summoning was none the wiser. It was a calculated risk and it had been worth it. The summoning did not suspect anything out of the ordinary in her shocked state. She thanked Katsuyu gratefully before the slug was dismissed.

Sakura's aching bones were crushed once more by Obito. The hyperactive Uchiha was sobbing loudly and incoherently into her shoulder and shaking her none too gently, she was thankful that Rin had peeled the boy off of her. The girl looked at her with a happy smile and a soft utterance of "I'm glad you're okay, Sakura-sensei." Kakashi had actually smiled at her she could tell from the familiar curve of his eyes.

She looked up at Minato and offered him a small smile but it was one he did not return. He looked torn between asking if she was okay and ripping her head off. He turned his hard gaze to the Hatake. "Kakashi, you and I will finish the mission. Obito, Rin watch over her and stay out of sight. We will come get you once we destroy the bridges." His students winced at his sharp tone but nodded nonetheless. He had failed to use the suffix that they had grown accustomed too. They also noted that the blonde had avoided saying Sakura's name out loud. Their sensei was angry in a way only Sakura could make him.

Minato and Kakashi left shortly after.

* * *

"Upsy daisy, Sakura-sensei." Obito practically sang out as he supported half of her weight on his shoulder. Rin did the exact same on her other side. Sakura bit her tongue to keep from crying out in pain. It felt as if her bones were being ripped apart with each step the two took. Rin noticed her discomfort so she picked a spot to hide nearby. Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow and leaned heavily against the trunk of a tree.

Each breath she took was incredibly painful but she did not have enough left in her to ease the pain. She was so focused on her labored breathing and rapidly firing neurons that Rin's chakra cloaked hand caught her completely off guard. "Easy Sakura-sensei" the girl coaxed after she noted that Sakura had jumped at the contact. The girl concentrated on keeping her flow consistent so that she would not add to her sensei's pain. Obito watched their surroundings highly alert. He was attuned to the slightest movements.

"Thank you Rin. Don't over exert yourself. You did a good job." She offered the girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile. To her relief, Rin smiled back at her.

* * *

Desperation was sometimes the best teacher. Rin had never managed to get this far on the fish but she had managed to ease off the edge of Sakura's pain and she was grateful.

She must have dozed off because when she next woke she was swaddled in a blanket and it was pitch black. The heat of the blanket caused a thin layer of sweat to cling to her. Sakura made a movement to get up but a firm hand on shoulder effectively halted her midway. She looked questioning at Minato but his eyes were too complicated to read. He was sitting on an old tree stump and Sakura was slightly above eye level with his knees.

Sakura looked down at herself and noticed that she was wrapped up from the neck all the way to her fingers in tape. That explained the tightness she had felt when she tried to get up. The tape also explained why she was more sensitive to her sweat. The tape was trapping the moisture against her skin and it was incredibly uncomfortable.

"Rin," Minato stated when he followed her line of thought. Sakura just nodded in quiet understanding. Sakura leaned her head against Minato's bent knee and looked at his sleeping students fondly. They were huddled around the small fire ten meters away. They looked so vulnerable and delicate. She wanted to protect them, more than anything she's ever wanted. "They did good today. I saw a shift in Kakashi. It seems that his teammates finally had an effect on him."

Sakura hummed in agreement with his observation. Minato gave her a long measured look but did not say anything. He wordlessly helped her take a few sips from the canteen in his hands. Her clammy fingers curled over his warm hand as she guided the canteen to her parched lips. The warm pressure of his other hand on the back of her head made her feel protected.

The cool liquid slid down her throat, soothing the dryness of it. Sakura brushed the stray droplets of water from her chin. Even the small effort that it took to keep her head straight seemed like an insurmountable task that sapped all her energy. He offered her a ration pill but she decided against it. She did not know if she was up to chewing on such a leathery pellet.

"They were after Rin. They were planning on making her a jinchuurki with the help of Kiri. You need to keep a closer eye on her." She said softly. Voicing the fact out loud suddenly made it seem more real. Her voice was still thick from sleep. Her admission was followed by a tense silence.

Minato frowned at her choice of words. _'What does she mean by me? Why can't she as well?'_ She felt his body coil. Minato took a deep breath to forcibly relax his wound up frame. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." His voice was luring her back into a drowsy state. She stubbornly blinked back the tiredness.

She looked up at him with her cheek still pressed against his warm thigh and smiled timidly at him, as if to gauge his current state of mind. Minato sighed deeply before the corner of his lips twitched upward. Sakura felt the knot in her stomach ease. "I owe you for my student's lives. Thank you." He looked at her with so much emotion that it hurt her head trying to distinguish them.

"And I owe you for saving mine." She added somberly. She would have died had he not come in time to help her summon Katsuyu.

"Let's just call it even then." He looked at her again. The fire was doing amazing things on her face. She looked so beautiful against the soft glow.

"Even." Sakura agreed in a heartbeat. She knew that what she was doing was wrong. She was supposed to avoid him, his smiles, his warmth, his closeness but she was too tired, too sore, too lonely, and too selfish to think about where her actions could possibly lead. She pressed up even further against him and she inhaled deeply before she allowed the darkness to consume her.

She decided, before falling asleep, that she liked the feeling of his hand stroking her hair.

* * *

The journey home came to Sakura in bits and pieces. She remembered waking periodically to the sight of Minato's wild hair flying every which way and his beautiful cobalt eyes. She was also aware that he was carrying her but again she was in no position to complain. He had successfully shattered Operation: Stay Away from Porky, in record time. She could not avoid him until they were back in Konoha so she would have to bide her time.

She had awoken in the hospital two days ago. Still painfully sore from her ordeal. Every muscle screamed at her, even at the slightest movements. Kushina had visited her on her first day back and cried her eyes out "you look like a mummy Sakura-chan, dattebane!" Sakura felt tremendously guilty. It had gotten better though. Somehow the redhead had managed to smuggle in ramen for the both of them and had animatedly filled her in on all the things she had missed out on the past week. Sakura was content to let her ramble.

"You know Masaki's been asking around about you." She said offhandedly. But Sakura had seen the slyness flicker in her indigo gaze.

"Huh?" Sakura looked at her friend, she was completely lost. _'Masaki? Why does that name sound so familiar?'_She racked her brain but came up empty.

"Ya' know the cute brunette from the bar. He's been asking about you." Kushina clicked her tongue at her, irritated. Had it not been for the fact that Sakura was covered in bandages, she would have bet that Kushina would have hit her over the head.

"Oh." Sakura said lamely. She felt nothing at his name. Should she have felt something?

"So?" Kushina looked at her expectantly. Her violet-blue eyes bore into her glassy jade ones.

"So?" This time Kushina did hit her over the head. She ignored Sakura's angry utterance of pain. The pinkette rubbed the sore spot with an exaggerated pout on her face.

"So should I tell him that you'll have dinner with him, when you're up to it or should I tell him to take a hike?" Kushina waited patiently for her friend's response. Sakura glanced at the sunflowers on her windowsill, they were from Masaki. He had given them to her through Kushina. Normally she loved sunflowers. They usually served to brighten her spirits. But today their yellow petals reminded her of Minato's spiky hair and that left a panging hole in her heart.

"Sure, why not?" Sakura shrugged before she winced. Her body could not handle movement well.

"Okay. I have to go Sakura-chan. It's time for me to meet my team. We'll get ramen when I get back!" Kushina gently squeezed Sakura's hand. The redhead had a mission waiting to be completed. Kushina's hair flicked out of sight. A part of Sakura was disappointed that Minato had not come to check up on her. _'Why should he? He's taken.'_ She reminded herself. With a frustrated sigh Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Sarutobi lifted his head from his seemingly endless mountain of paperwork. The sounds of heels clicking against the marble tile of the hallway came to an abrupt halt directly outside of his door. "Come in," he called out in a lazy manner. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to going home and sleeping for a few hours before he had to wake again. War was for the young. He did not know how much longer he could keep up with the constant stain.

He watched with dull eyes as the door handle turned. A blonde head poked out from behind it. "Tsunade-hime, what can I do for you?" He leaned back in his chair and smiled easily at his former student. She had a very familiar determined gleam in her eye. And that gleam usually meant bad news for those who were around.

His sharp eyes noted the slightest of downturned lip, a small furrow of the brow, and her guarded position. "Ah so the time has come, I see."He answered his own question. At his words the woman before him visually straightened. Her amber eyes hardened in challenge. But he was not going to deny her. He knew that arguing with Tsunade was useless.

"I delayed leaving because you asked me too but as soon as she's completely out of the woods, I'm out of the village." She said casually while studying her perfectly manicured nails. She always managed to keep them neat and it was quite a feat given her profession.

Her little act did not fool him though, no he knew her too well. "Speaking of Sakura-chan," he did not miss the slight flare of her nostrils. "How is she?" The kunoichi had showed up two days ago wrapped from neck to toe in tape. Her condition had alarmed many, include the Hokage.

Tsunade's eyes suddenly took a far off look. It was reminiscent of the look Tsunade wore when she studied a specimen or poison. It was detached, cold, and calculating. "She is recovering incredibly fast given what she's been through. Even with her healing prowess and even with Katsuyu's ability, the pace she is setting is unheard off. She's healing too fast and too well for it to be a mere coincidence. She's hiding something." The blonde flickered her gaze to meet the kage's. She was finished with inspecting her nails.

"You don't trust her." Sarutobi asked her evenly after exhaling a puff of smoke. The blonde's nose scrunched up in an irritated fashion. She planted a hand on her hip and shifted her weight.

"No I don't. She seems too good to be real. That damn foreign chakra, we don't know anything about it. It's helping her heal in an almost similar manner to the kyuubi's regenerative abilities, so it would not be a stretch to assume that the chakra could also be as equally dangerous as the kyuubi's. I know she is supposed to be our savior but honestly, something is off about her. She's not telling us the whole story." Tsunade frowned at the suddenly amused twinkle in the Hokage's eyes. He was up to no good, again.

"Should you really be all that surprised? She was your student after all. You would have hammered it into her to not give up all her cards so early in the game." Tsunade's hazelnut eyes narrowed as she glared at the chuckling man.

"You of all people know that I have rotten luck when it comes to gambling. Why would she take my advice on anything? What good would it do for her to listen to a senile has-been?" The slug princess crossed her arms over her chest, moodily. It was at that moment that everything fell into place for Sarutobi.

"Are you sure that you do not want to reconsider? You'll be missed dearly, Tsunade." The Hokage looked at her with a soul searching gaze. It had been years since Tsunade had that look directed at her. It made her feel twelve again.

She fought back the need to shuffle her feet and forced herself to remain leveled. "I'll only be missed by a few, old man. The village is better off in her hands, anyway." She trained her eyes to the window behind Sarutobi. She heard him exhale deeply through his nose.

"She's not replacing you, hime. She can't replace you. Sakura's Sakura and you're you. There are some undeniable similarities but both of you are unique in your own ways. You each provide different needs to Konoha. You each have your place and your role." He had not been mistaken when he had detected the jealously in Tsunade's eyes when he brought up Sakura's name.

The blonde was already feeling insecure about her medical ninjutsu and having someone as gifted and as young as Sakura to rub it in her face only added to the problem. Tsunade was feeling neglected and obsolete. Now he finally understood why the woman was so apprehensive about Sakura. It finally made sense why the woman avoided having contact with the younger medic.

Sarutobi had unknowingly belittled and slighted Tsunade when he offered Sakura the head medic title. But the Hokage had little choice in the matter. Tsunade had stepped down years ago, so he was desperate for someone to fill the position. Having someone of Sakura's caliber working at the hospital finally made Konoha's hospital respectable again. He did not want to hurt Tsunade's feelings but his hands were tied. He could not pass up on such a developed talent just to appease the blonde. She had planned on leaving even before the news of Sakura. Sarutobi had to tell the blonde about the pinkette's expected arrival just to keep her in the village long enough for Sakura to arrive.

He had only known that the Haruno was coming but he knew little else. He had planned for the worst case scenario and that scenario required Tsunade to be around to heal Sakura, if it came down to it.

"That may be the case but even you have to put aside your personal feeling and admit that she's the best thing for the village right now. Konoha needs her far more than it needs me." She tried to smile reassuringly at him but the gesture felt tight and fake even to her.

"I'm taking Shizune with me, like we agreed." The blonde reached into the pocket of her green coat and placed a scroll on Sarutobi's desk. "You'll find everything in order, once you open it." She watched with tight lips as the Hokage grabbed the scroll and deposited into a drawer. He wasn't going to bother and read it. He trusted her too much to waste their time.

"Dan's niece, time flies doesn't it?" He asked her in a facile tone. But Tsunade was too wise to fall for his methods. She had been steeling herself for him to do this to her. He mentioned the name of her former lover so easily that she envied him. She, herself, had been unable to say his name since his death. It had become taboo for her but she was pleased that she did not visibly look as shaken as she felt.

"You've started making small talk, so I'll take my leave. The minute she leaves the hospital is the minute that we'll be leaving." She looked at his dark eyes and felt a pull of her heart strings. She might not miss the village but she would miss a few individuals dearly. Sarutobi was towards the top of the very short list.

"Stay safe, Tsunade." The Hokage pinned her with a reflective stare. She swallowed thickly and nodded her head. She really would miss him. The man had been like a father to her.

* * *

How was that? :)


	12. Part of the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

Warning: Contains spoilers, blood

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Dear Readers,

It has been another week. They seem to fly by so fast, I barely have time to catch my breath before Friday rolls around again. Anyways, thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited, and followed. This story has truly become a lot bigger than I originally thought it would be. I'm glad that you liked last chapter. I'm warning you now that the next couple of chapters are a bit darker. So don't expect happy fluff in this chapter or next.

I'm glad that you have questions about the characters. My goal is to make them as well rounded and believable as possible. I want you to be frustrated with some of the decisions they make. I want you to question their motives and intentions. Their not perfect and I hope my writing of them conveys that. Their "human" in a figurative sense of the word and so they are wired to make mistakes. They have their flaws and that's what makes them interesting.

So enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. Reading your reviews is the best way to instantly brighten my mood after a hard day at school. Thanks for your feedback. Until next time!

~L.H.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Part of the Past

* * *

Flashback:

_Pink fluttered in her line of sight. _

_Sakura pushed uncooperative strands of hair from her eyes. "Damn it, Naruto. Why do you have to be so careless all the time?" She muttered darkly under her breath as she healed the numerous gasps marring the blonde's tan skin. He wasn't going to bleed out because the kyuubi would never let that happen but she couldn't help from being worried. He looked more like Swiss cheese than a human being. _

_"'Tis nothing, Sakuwa." His voice was slurred thanks in large part to the sedative she had given him. He smiled lopsidedly at her. If the circumstance had be different she would have been having a laughing fit by now, but it wasn't and she defiantly was not in the laughing mood. She ignored the small feeling of guilt as her eyes meet his unfocused gaze. 'It was for his own good', she kept reminding herself. _ _The blonde had been launching into battle with reckless abandonment alongside the Hokages. The only difference was that he could still die. If he got his head blown off, he would not regenerate like his father had. _

_He needed to rest and she would take whatever she could get, even if that was a few hours of him sleeping. The damn fox that he housed would filter it out soon enough. She had given him enough sedatives to down a horse but the blonde was still being stubborn. He was looking at his hands in a manner that implied that he had just discovered them. _

_She sighed deeply and continued to coax her chakra through him. In the past, his body and the kyuubi used to put up a resistance against her healing techniques. That was half the battle with healing Naruto. His body resisted her the whole way. But as the years went on his system and the fox learned to readily accept it. Now she had no issues with funneling her medical ninjutsu into him. His network took it in as smoothly as it took in Naruto's own chakra. It made her life easier and it was for that reason other medics didn't bother to waste their time to heal Naruto. He still put up a fight against their chakra. _

_Sakura bit back another angry utterance as she closed a particularly burn. Obito's attack had landed too close to home for her to feel comfort."Sakwa," his speech was beginning to become less coherent. She took that as a good sign. "Ne Sakwa," he tugged on her navy sleeve in a very irritating manner. Sakura forced herself to meet his eyes. _ _"I like you," a devil-may-care smile stretched across his lips. The left side of his face was beginning to droop. She ignored the sudden increase in her heart rate and dutifully continued to close up his numerous cuts. "I rewy like you." He repeated with added firmness. He tried to lift his head up but the movement proved to be too much in his current state. _

_"I already know that you idiot." There was not any malice in her words. She really did know. The present he had given her a few weeks ago said as much. Naruto made a frustrated sound and it took her a moment to realize that he was fighting back against the sedative. It was not just the kyuubi that was resisting the pull, the blonde was as well._

_"Sakwa." He spared her a pointed look. The effect was ruined by his increasing slur but she knew that he was being incredibly serious. "I mean it." She blinked in surprise as his eye seemed to clear as he sat upright. He really was something else. Forget the few hours, she doubted that she would get another few minutes. Once again she had severely underestimated her blonde teammate. _ _She stared at him with wide eyes. She did not know what to say, she did not trust herself. Naruto was always so sure of his words, actions, and intentions but she was not like that. She did not have his same unwavering confidence. She did not have his ability to put everything out in the open. _

_"Naruto," she stared at him with desperation in her eyes. She knew how he felt about her. It was painfully obvious. "I l-Naruto!" She grabbed the back of his head before it hit the hard surface of the cot. "Baka," she lowered him down gently and tucked a blanket around him. He was in worse shape than she could ever imagine. He had literally fallen asleep while having a conversation with her. _ _She tried not to take it personally. He had been running himself into the ground for the past few weeks. Even someone with endless energy stores, such as Naruto, needed rest every now and then. _

_She took in his peaceful face with a soft smile on her lips. She untied his forehead protector and set it on a small table nearby. _ _Sakura ran her fingers through his soft hair, absentmindedly. Only Naruto could bring up such a personal and painful topic and fall asleep before she could even get a word in. But she understood his actions well. He needed his rest and she would be there when he woke up. After all, someone needed to give him an earful. _

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes and stared at the white ceiling blankly. She had been dreaming about Naruto more and more lately, and it weighed down on her heart. She missed him dearly and having daily dreams, flashbacks, of her time with him cut into her. Every time she saw his face the wounds that had just barely began to scab over started bleeding freely again. She was torturing herself but it was oddly comforting. Her biggest fear was forgetting about the people she had come to love.

She worried about forgetting precious moments with them as time stretched on. She was frightful of the thought of forgetting their mannerisms, their voices, and eventually their faces. She would gladly deal devastating blows to her heart as long as she could still be with him, as long as she could just remember him. And she had settled for being with him in her memories and thoughts. She longed for the day that she could finally hold him again but she would have to wait a few years for that. She realized that things would never be the same between them but that was just a minor detail. He would be alive, healthy, and happy. And that was all that mattered to her.

* * *

Seven days.

They had kept her in the hospital for an additional seven days. She was beginning to understand why Kakashi and Naruto tried to escape the second they could. It was mind numbingly boring. She was really starting to hate being on the other end of the medical clipboard. She did not remember being this accident prone during her timeline. She could count the number of times she spent the night in the hospital recovering on one hand. But so far, she had landed two prolonged stays in the hospital within months of each other. It was not an accomplishment she liked to brag about.

Her week was spent staring at the walls, staring out the window, and even more staring. The nurses had refused to give her any updates about the condition of the hospital. Her only connection to the outside world had been Kushina. And even she was gone. Kushina was not set to return from her mission until the end of the week and Sakura sorely missed her company. It was always the same. "Sakura-san needs rest!" She had tried to assure the staff, _her staff,_ that she was fine five days ago but they would have none of it. They did not even allow her to have any visitors. She was trapped in this horrible hell hole and she had to attempt escape or she would end up landing people in the hospital. By her third attempt Sakura had just given up and accepted her fate.

She really was fine and had been fine since the beginning of the week but they were being extra cautious with her. Not that she could blame them, half of her body had been crushed but it was getting ridiculous. Sakura was notorious for her short fuse and this situation had brought her to her wits end. So she did the responsible thing: she broke out of the hospital only to return back to her Head Medic responsibly.

It was quite amusing to hear the ruckus her escape had caused. She heard the nurses shouting, scrambling, cursing, and crying as they tried to find her. Their frantic search could be heard three floors down. It took them nearly half a day to find her sitting causally in her desk, diligently doing paperwork. It was as if she had never been injured at all. The nurses and doctors were not impressed but they could not look down their noses at their superior. She defiantly was their superior. Sakura had made sure to make that clear ages ago. It felt good to be walking around and doing her job. It felt right. She had neglected her responsibility for too long. Even the sky high stack of papers did not appear like a chore. She welcomed the work. It gave her something other than thinking about annoying blondes all day.

* * *

"Sakura-sensei?" Sakura ushered the girl in without looking up from her file. She heard the chunnin shuffle on her feet before her. Sakura waited patiently for Rin to speak but she seemed content to just stand in silence. With a soft sigh Sakura put down the file and turned her attention to the chunin in front of her.

"Yes Rin-chan?" She said as sweetly as possible. It wasn't the girl's fault that the hospital had reverted back into its self-destructive habits in her absence. No wonder they were being so careful with her recovery. The staff had wanted to put off her discovering the truth for as long as possible. She wanted to fire all of them but Konoha severely lacked qualified medics. She would have to make do with what she had.

"I um, I have a request." The brunette began uneasily. Sakura hummed giving the budding medic permission to continue. "I know that I've made progress thanks to our training sessions but Sakura-sensei, I'm falling behind my teammates. I think it would be really beneficial if I can devote more time into my training so…" Rin trailed off losing her nerve. Not once had Sakura interrupted her but she also did not give her any indication that she was pleased.

"So you want me to accept you as my apprentice, right?" Rin's eyes widened the expression of shock was clear on her face. It took her a moment to recover and nod emphatically.

"I would like that very much." She hastily added. Sakura's expression was unreadable and Rin felt her palms begin to breakout in sweat.

"It will be extremely difficult. It won't be easy," Sakura leaned back in her seat and truly studied the girl with a critical eye. _'I could take her in. She would provide me with a perfect way out. And create a curriculum for medics in the academy. That way each squad could realistically have a medic. Teaching a few classed here and there shouldn't be a problem. Besides once Rin becomes proficient enough she could help. But do I have time for all this? What about my mission?'_

Rin's determined expression did not waver. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect them." Silence filled the room and fear of rejection gripped Rin's heart.

"Whatever it takes huh?" Sakura's eyes darkened it gave Rin the impression that the medic was far away, lost in her thoughts. Sakura caught Rin off guard when she stood up suddenly. She watched fascinated as the older woman pulled open a drawer and took out a scroll. "I have one lose end I need to take care of and once I do, we can begin. Be here after your training with your team. Don't be late." She left the shocked, silent girl without a backwards glance. Rin felt warmth flood her.

"Thank you, Sakura-shishou." Rin whispered long after the woman had left. Her lips tingled as she spoke. "Sakura-shishou," she liked the way it sounded to her ears.

* * *

"Just so I'm clear Sakura-chan, you are resigning from Team Minato?" The Hokage asked her after he took a long drag from his pipe. His voice was disarming and soothing but his eyes pierced her. Sakura fought back a wince and nodded. He was displeased with her, maybe even disappointed. She could tell by the slight pinching on his lip.

"I need to focus my time between Rin, the hospital, and developing a compressive, realistic time line for reaching my goal." It was really Tsunade's goal but she had adopted it. It was a dream worthy of pursuing and now she finally had the resources to start implementing it. If she started working on it now it would be a realistic to assume that the curriculum would be fully integrated into the academy lessons by the time Minato was Hokage. The tight time frame would also give her something to do with her time, now that she would not be going on missions with Team Minato. It was a win-win for everyone involved, she just had to make the Hokage see things the way she did.

"If I continue spreading myself so thin, I'll end up being a liability on missions." She did not need to remind him of the near disaster that took place the last time she went on a mission. It was still fresh in his mind.

The Hokage regarded her stoically."Are you sure that's the only reason why you're resigning?" Sakura's gut told her that it was a rhetorical question. The Hokage had already drawn a hypothesis and it was up to her confirm or deny it- nothing more, nothing less. The Hokage watched her flinch and avoid his gaze. Her relationship with Minato was no secret. The Konoha rumor mills stuck to those two like sand on wet skin. The rumors had grown so rampant and wild that they even reached him. He had overheard his assistants discussing their relationship in great detail. They were hitting a rough patch, Sakura avoided Minato and that put the latter in a foul mood. He did not think that the problem was severe enough that Sakura would request leave. Perhaps he was wrong.

Sakura felt her heart stop. '_I can't lie to him, but I also can't tell him the truth.' _Sakura did not trust her voice so she just nodded her head. She heard the Hokage sigh deeply. "Well if that's the case, I'm afraid that I will not be able to help you." Sakura's heart sank at his words. '_I have no choice. I need to tell him. Akemi told me that I can trust him.' _

"It's a long story Hokage-sama." Sakura began weakly, warning him. Once he heard what she had to say, his life would never be the same. Ignorance was truly bliss and she hoped the Hokage was wise enough to take the phrase for face value. She really did not want to weigh him down with the truth.

"Then it might be wise to take a seat, dear." Sakura slid into a chair reluctantly. It might have come off as a suggestion but it was a clear order. She could not argue with him, and she certainly could no longer run from this.

"Well I guess I should start at the beginning," she spared him another pleading look. He could still save himself from the horrible truth that was her world. He still had time to back away. She was providing him with and escape route and she prayed that he would take it.

"That would be ideal," the Hokage looked at her blankly. With a heavy heart Sakura began explaining everything to Hokage. She told him about the first Iwa mission, Danzo planning a coupe to overthrow him, the Kyuubi attack, to his own death at the hands of his prized pupil, to Pein, to eventually the war, Madara, and finally about the Ten-Tails. She illustrated the pain, the loss, the agony, and the crippling fear that she had felt during her twenty-one years of existence.

She purposely highlighted Naruto's Hokage had to see what a grave mistake he made by forcing everyone to keep quiet about Naruto. He had denied the boy his family, his birthright. He had allowed Naruto to believe that he was abandoned from birth. He had allowed the blonde to blame himself for what he thought was his parent's refusal of him. The Hokage had stood by while the village harassed and ostracize him. Naruto'd childhood may have shaped him into being who he was, but even the blonde had once admitted to her that he did not wish that fate upon anyone. He had confided in her that he would have liked to know about his parents from the beginning. It would have saved the blonde a whole lot of heartache and self-doubt.

The recount of everything left her emotionally exhausted and vulnerable. She did not spare any details because, after all, her future no longer existed. She would not jeopardize anything. She was sent into the past to change everything and it was a weight off her shoulders to share her burden with someone else. A weight that was transferred to his shoulders but she did not feel much remorse, he had asked for it despite her warnings. She could have put up more of a fight but she was tired of shouldering everything alone. Misery loved company, and her misery was now had the Hokage's company.

The Hokage's face seemed to have aged a decade right in front of her. It resembled the face that she remembered from her own time. The lines on his face seemed more defined and pronounced. The lighting in the room washed his brown hair in a white light.

If she suspended reality for a moment she could pretend that she was twelve again and he was about to assign Team Seven a mission. Naruto's complaints rang through her ears. She could clearly visualize his deep scowl and crossed arms. She could almost hear her own angry retorts directed at the hyperactive blonde. She could picture Sasuke standing a short distance from them, feigning indifference but in reality was taking in every word. She could image Kakashi dividing his attention between the Hokage and the pages of his book. It would be painfully easy to let herself pretend and continue path would lead to less tears but it would also be foolish. She had been saved from the dead and now it was time for her to pay her dues. She needed to make sure that things were different, that things ended up for the better of the shinobi world as a whole. Her happiness was insignificant in all of this.

"I see, that was indeed a long story."Sarutobi's voice jerked her back to reality. His pipe had been long forgotten, he had lowered it soundlessly around the time of Minato's and Kushina's deaths. He was probably disappointed that he could not save them. He was probably appalled that he had been forced to watch them die in each other's arms over their newborn son. Their blood had provided the boy with warmth on an otherwise frigid night. They had loved Naruto enough to lay down their lives in a heartbeat without hesitation.

They had trusted Konoha enough to raise their beloved son, to regard him as a hero and to love him because they no longer could fulfill that need themselves. They had entrusted their everything to the people of the village. The same people that they had sacrificed their lives for. They were the same villagers that had showered them with words of congratulations on their marriage and on finally starting a family. But all it took for the town to forget the final wish of their esteemed leader was one attack. The village had failed them in more ways than one.

But Naruto had turned out beautifully despite the efforts of Konoha's civilians. They had tried to break him but Kushina had filled Naruto with love before the kyuubi ever even touched him. The love of his parents had made Naruto the man he was. Their unconditional devotion to each other and him kept him strong through all those years.

They would have been so proud and happy to call him their son and he would have been equally overjoyed to call them his parents. They were prefect for each other. They were the parents Naruto deserved and he was the son Minato and Kushina always dreamed about. It was because of Naruto she kept a white-knuckle hold on reality. He would get the childhood he deserved. He would finally have the family he always craved and she would make sure of that. Naruto would not suffer in this lifetime. She had set her mind on the matter and Sakura was stubborn to a fault.

"So you see Hokage-sama, the less time I spend with Minato the more opportunity there will be for him to fall in love with Kushina." She began breaking the tense silence that had fallen in the room. She did not understand it but Minato showed a dangerous amount of interest in her. She needed to get him to focus his time and attention towards Kushina. She hoped the rest would fall in place. True love overcomes all, didn't it? At least that's what she was led to believe by Ino and her mother. It was the only sliver of hope she allowed was betting her meager earnings that once Minato and Kushina received that little push to come together, that they would fall hopelessly in love with each other, much like how things were in her time. They would be happy and in a few years time Naruto would come into existence and all would be well again.

Sarutobi digested everything she said in stunned silence. He did not know what to say. His whole life had just flashed before his eyes and he had been powerless to change any of it. But he was certain of one thing: he did not image the way Sakura's body language had changed when this Naruto came into the picture. It was obvious to him that she cared deeply for Minato's and Kushina's son. That made what he had to say that much more difficult. It could not be helped, she needed to hear it. They needed her to be grounded and not hanging on to hollow faith about a boy that might or might not come to walk the streets of Konoha one day.

Sarutobi regarded the hopeful eyes of the pinkette with a lump lodged in his throat. He was about to shatter all her hope and he felt immensely guilty about it. She was a citizen of Konoha so naturally, it was his responsibility to look after her. But above all else he also had a whole village to look after, and the needs of the village came before the needs of an individual's- no matter how fond he was of her. He steeled himself with the images of a burning Konoha, a destroyed Konoha, and a destroyed alliance. She would suffer but they would all be better off for it.

The situation he was in tested his morals more than it should have. He should be able to form the words needed without feeling bad or remorseful. But he was still human, he was limited by the emotions he felt. She needed to hear the truth but he could still be humane when he delivered it. That was the only compromise that he would be able to live with.

"Sakura-chan, what you fail to recognize is that people here are not exactly as you would expect them to be. In your timeline Kushina and Minato should have already fallen in love long before your presence. This timeline is different, the people are different, and the future will be different. Simply your presence has altered the future drastically. There is no turning back Sakura-chan. You were brought back to make great changes to the future. This Naruto may have been the hero in your time but you will be the hero in our time."

Sakura sorted the words of the wise man before her and felt a knot form in her stomach. It was threatening to squeeze everything inside of her. The air in the room suddenly became very thin. "That may be the case Hokage-sama, but Naruto needs to be born! He's the child of Jiraiya-sama's prophecy. He will be the one to end hate amongst shinobi. He will bring peace. He has to be born. He just has too." Sakura knew that she was on the verge of a breakdown. She was shaking and tears had already begun pooling in her eyes. "There's still hope. Minato and Kushina could still fall in love. I can't give up on him. I won't give up on him." She said with firmness that caught the Hokage off guard. The fire had returned to her eyes, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

The thought of a world without Naruto, no, she could not even begin to image something so awful. They needed him. He was their salvation. The Hokage was wrong, she was no hero. She was merely a supporting character. Naruto was the hero. And she took immense pride in her friendship with him. He had shaped her and she liked to think that she had affected him beneficially as well. He had made her a better person. He made everyone around him a better person. Naruto was the epitome of a hero, he had to exist. He just had too. She would go down as a mere footnote in the legend that was Uzumaki Naruto and she was beyond happy to play that role.

"You cannot force to people to be together, to fall in love, and raise a family simply because that's how things played out in your world. You cannot manipulate everyone's lives to suit your needs." Sakura felt as if she had been struck. She felt as if each of his words were being seared into her brain. If what the Hokage spoke was true than she was in trouble. She could not ask Kushina and Minato to be together if there was a lack of mutual attraction. If Naruto was not surrounded by parents that loved him as much as they loved each other, then what good would it do? What good would bringing them together be if they truly did not love one another?

_'No Naruto, no Naruto,' _the horrid thought kept running through her head. She needed to shut down. She needed to breathe. The memory of his smiling face was killing her slowly. She clasped the fabric of her vest over her heart. She wrapped her arms around herself. She needed to keep it together. She needed to keep herself together. The memory of his laughter burned her. "No, no, no Naruto's he's-"She was falling apart. Her whole world was beginning to unravel at the seams. Everything that she's ever worked for had just crumbled in front of her. She had nothing left. She was lost. She was nothing more than a kunoichi without purpose.

"He's part of the past, Sakura-chan. This right now in no longer the past Sakura-chan, it's your present and the future you came from is the past." The Hokage said gently. He watched with a heavy heart as the kunoichi in front of him unsteadily rose to her feet. Her movements were robotic, her mind was reeling. She headed towards his door and left without another word.

He excused her extremely rude display. She was hurting and he was the reason for it. His heart went out to her but she needed to hear it. She was brought back to save everyone's fates and if there had to be causalities along the way, they would be a necessary evil. The Hokage sighed as he waited for his companion to make his presence known.

The sannin crawled through the open window and face his former sensei with a heavy expression. The life had been sucked out of the room. "She's carrying a heavy burden." Jiraiya's tone was solemn and his eyes were full of pity. His heart ached for Sakura. She was too fragile and weak for this burden. No one was strong enough for it. The Gods were asking too much from her. It was too much to ask from one person.

"Ah, and I just reminded her of everything's she's lost. Of everyone she's lost and of everyone she's going to lose." The Hokage closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Both men watched as the last remnants of light vanished. The darkness outside would be consuming in a few hours. Konoha's citizens would be blissfully sleeping, completely ignorant to the sacrifice one woman made for them. They would never thank her. They could not even begin to thank her. She had lost everything so that they could keep their lives intact.

"Village first right?" Jiraiya asked almost bitterly. He had his work cut out for him. He too could not refuse the orders of his kage. No matter how badly he wanted too. He was a firm believer in redemption but his former sensei was denying that option.

The Hokage merely looked at him. "You know what you have to do. She all but confirmed our suspicions." The white haired man nodded curtly. His dark eyes were far away. He brain was already miles away preparing itself for the impossible task that lie ahead. The image of Tsunade flashed briefly before his eyes. She would understand. She had to understand, he _needed _her to understand. If he lost her too, kami he would go crazy. She was all he had left from his former team.

"It's good as done." The two men shared a look full of regret before nodding in understanding. They were both struggling to comprehend just what Sarutobi's words implied. It still did not seem real yet, but all of that would change rather quickly. The white haired man turned to leave but he was halted midstride by the Hokage's soft voice it was full of remorse.

"The child of the prophecy…." The kage let his unspoken question hang in the air.

Jiraiya squared his shoulders before answering. "Is female." The man left. Silence engulfed the room.

'_Orochimaru how far have you fallen?' _

* * *

Numbness had become her coping mechanism. Whenever she faced a traumatic, tragic, or despairing situation her brain's defense mechanism against it was to immediately stop feeling. This method of coping and served her well in the war and she figured it would serve her well now. The past, no this was her present and it looked unbelievably bleak.

She was not a hero. She was not capable of handling the pressure and responsibility that came with that title. What hope did she have at changing anything? Many shinobi stronger, smarter, faster, braver, and outright better than her had tried to avoid the horrible fate that lied ahead. Yet even they failed. She was in way over her head. She had been foolish to entertain the thought that she could make a difference for even a moment. She was not aware of her movements.

Her eyes were unseeing, silence rang in her ears, her limbs did not feel, her nose was obsolete. She was completely cut off from the world. She did not know where her feet were leading her but that was the least of her worries. She was dead inside. She heard nothing, saw nothing, tasted nothing, smelt nothing, and felt nothing. Her brain had stopped working the moment she had left the Hokage's office.

She was lost. Lost in her self-created defense mechanism. She was lost in the memories of her past.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_He was smiling at her again. She envied his ability to smile so easily. How could he distance himself from the chaos around them? How could he find the beauty in life when everything looked so bleak? Why had not he given up on her, when she was close to giving up on herself? _

_Sakura pushed passed him, giving no indication that she had seen him. The smile disappeared from his face as his brow furrowed as he got a good look of her. "Sakura-chan?" He called out to her tentatively, uneasily. She was scaring him. _

_Sakura squeezed her arms around her even tighter. The autumn air was crippling. She felt the chill in her bones. She continued to stare off in to the distance at nothing in particular. She was covered in blood that was not hers. She was cried out, the tears refused to flow any longer. Her heart had shattered in her chest and the jagged pieces were stabbing her from the inside. She had let him die. She had watched him die. First it had been Ino and now it was him. _

_"Sakura-chan," she heard the gravel around her crunch as he jogged to fall in step with her. The wind slapped her locks across her face but she was hardly bothered. Her dull eye continued to peer at the horizon. "Sakura." He repeated her name firmly this time. She continued to tune him out. Her feet were leading to an unknown destination. She felt him pull her elbow and spin her around. His hand lifted her chin so that she was staring at his concerned cerulean eyes. _

_"He's dead." She said flatly. Her tone and detached expression really had him worried. Naruto led her slowly to a smooth boulder. She sat on it without a word. He watched with a stammering heart as the pinkette looked at the setting sun. _

_"Who's dead, Sakura?" He asked her gently. He did not want to startle her. A surprised Sakura was an unpredictable Sakura, and that was when she was at her most dangerous. He took in the blood covered front of her vest and pants. At first he had assumed it was her blood but he was relieved to find out otherwise. That feeling was short lived because it meant than it belonged to another, a male, who was dead. _

_She stared at him blankly. She blinked slowly and it was at that moment that he suddenly regretted his question. "Who's dead Sakura? Shikamaru? Sai? Kiba? Shino? Gaara?" She shook her head at each name. His heart was experiencing conflicting emotions. With each shake of her head he felt relief that the person was still alive but it was quickly replaced by dread as he thought of another name, another comrade, and another friend. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and slightly shook her. His panic was really starting to grow. "Who died, Sakura?"_

_He watched glumly as she opened her mouth. "Kakashi's dead, Naruto." He let go of her quickly, as if she burned him. Sakura stared at him with desperation. She fisted her hands in his orange jacket and pulled herself to her feet. She needed him to forgive her. "It's all my fault, Naruto. He's dead because of me." The tears were finally flowing again. She clung to him for sanity. She needed him. _

_Naruto stared at the dark around them. He numbly took in the slight twinkle of the stars and the crisp night air. 'Kakashi's dead, Naruto. It's all my fault,' her words kept repeating in his ears. 'Kakashi's dead. Kakahi's dead.' He was disgusted with himself. _

_ He registered the wetness of his chest. It took him longer to realize why. He stared at the head of pink hair in front of him, unrecognizing. 'Kakashi's dead. It's all my fault.' Why was a small part of him thankful that it had been Kakashi and not Sakura?_

_He pried her fingers from his jacket with mechanical movements. He needed to be alone. He needed to get his head on straight. He needed to just breathe. He needed to grieve the only way he knew how, he needed to grieve alone. _

_The woman in front of him looked so vulnerable. She looked vaguely familiar but his brain had shut down. 'Kakashi's dead.' But Sakura was still could have been so much worse.  
_

_The familiar face looked up at him with so much hurt in her eyes. Sakura watched with diminishing hope as Naruto turned and walked away from her. The orange of his jacket vanished out of sight as she crumpled to the ground. She landed painfully because there was no one to catch her. She needed him and he had left her. _

End of Flashback

* * *

That had been the last time she had seen him. She had been thrown back in time not even four days later. Her last memory of him had been a painful one. She had been denied the opportunity to apologize to him and now she never would get her chance.

She would never be able to mend her relationship with him. Show him just how important he was to her. She had messed up long before she even set a foot in this version of Konoha.

* * *

Minato was in a bad mood. But that was hardly a rarity these days. The first time he had been in such a mood, people had been shocked and they had showed worry. They had even taken time out of their day to offer him help. They had offered to listen to him if he ever wanted to 'talk about it' or 'needed help sorting things out.' But how could he find words to describe what he felt, especially since he was so confused himself?

As the days stretched on and eventually blended into each other they had grown accustomed to his irritability and short temper. His fellow nin just accepted it without question now. He had not spoken to Sakura since the mission and it was eating away at him. He would have visited her in the hospital but the moment he had turned in his mission report he was handed a new assignment.

He was still angry at himself for not finishing his task earlier and coming to their aid. He always prided himself on being a level headed, rational person but something about Sakura made him lose that. He knew that he had no reason to be angry with her, she had saved his students. But it was easier to blame her than acknowledge the fact that he had come close to failing. He had almost lost the people he had vowed to protect. His students were his responsibility and he had delegated that to someone else. That someone had succeeded where he had failed. She had kept them safe and while he had been unable too. But it came at a tremendous cost to her. She had nearly lost her life trying to clean up the mess Minato had made, which was something he did not ask her to do.

He was angry with her for not telling him just how dangerous the mission was. He never would have agreed to take the separate mission had he known the circumstances of their original mission. He would have done the responsible thing and stayed with them. He could have protected them and all of it could have been avoided. The reaction she had had to the mission should have been a clear giveaway but she could have verbally said something. She could have trusted him enough to not think any less of her if she asked for help. He would have gladly given it to her. But most of all he was angry at himself for not being able to keep his students and her safe.

He should have been honoring his commitment to his team. He should have turned down the mission the Hokage assigned him. He wanted the title of village protector more than anything, but he was a cave-in away from losing his students for good. That was a line that he was not willing to cross. He would be Hokage but it would not come at the cost of his students. He had let them down but he was fortunate enough to have another chance. He would not fail them again.

He had only been back for half a day. Inochi and Choza had managed to somehow convince him to have dinner with them. They were oblivious to his irate mood, which any person with half a brain would have noticed. Anger and irrigation was rolling off of him in periodic waves. His scowl had become a permanent fixture on his face but his friends ignored him and proceeded to chat happily with each other. They skillfully avoided addressing him directly but they still managed to incorporate him in the conversation. If either of them wanted, they would be very good as diplomats. Maybe he would put them on his council once he was Hokage.

He was already contemplating leaving but when he saw a flash of pink in his peripheral vision he decided enough was enough. He pushed himself up into a standing position and did not bother with exchanging goodbyes with his comrades. He did not worry about not footing his portion of the bill, he hadn't ordered anything anyways. He was in a foul disposition before but the sight of her pink hair had set him over the edge. He needed her to promise him that she would not do something so reckless again. She needed to promise that she would not hide any other major events from him. He needed to make her realize that her safety was just as important to him as his students' lives were. She needed to understand just how much she had scared him back there. She almost died but the pinkette had brushed it off as nothing. Her severe disregard for her own wellbeing struck a very raw nerve.

Minato was seething with murderous intent as he neared her but the woman did not seem bothered at the slightest by his display of anger. In fact, she did not seem to notice him at all. She walked towards him with her head bowed and rigid movements. In his anger Minato did not notice that her eyes were down cast or that she was shaking like a leaf. He was too enraged to bother with the details. And before he could control himself he had her upper arms wrapped by his hands. He shook her angry and snarled down at her.

"We need to talk." Sakura looked at him with dull eyes, seeing but not recognizing. His anger receded immediately when he noticed her broken expression. He let go of her and strained his ears to catch what she was muttering like a mantra under her breath."Naruto?" He asked after a second. She kept repeating the name like a broken record.

Saying his name out loud seemed to knock her out of her trance-like-state. Her eyes flickered in recognition and she let out a heart wrenching sob. "Naruto," she wailed in between sobs. Her eyes stared up at his with desperation. "Kami I'm so sorry!" She sank to her knees in front of him. The gravel cut into her skin but she did not even register the pain. Her emotional pain outweighed any physical damage she had ever sustained. "He's gone." She clenched at her heart. "He's gone. He's dead because of me. It's all my fault! Please forgive me. I can't lose you too. Please forgive me." Minato watched with wide eyes as she swayed dangerously on her knees. He barely had enough time to catch her in his arms before she fully collapsed.


	13. Self-loathing and Resentment

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

Warning: contains spoilers, blood, and mild langugage

* * *

Hello Everyone,

Another week has gone by and I hope it went well for you all. Thanks to all of those who took the time to make my day by leaving a review. Your comments made me smile and feel so special. So thank you. I'm glad that you seemed to like last chapter. This one is similar in the sense that it's darker than the other chapters. But who knows, there might be a little treat at the end. :)

Anyways, that's enough from me. Read and enjoy. Please leave a kind word or two! Thanks in advance. Until next time.

~L.H.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Self-loathing and Resentment

* * *

_Flashback: _

_Swish. _

_The only sound in the room was of a kunai skillfully going through her hair. Sakura closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the moment of calm. It would only last for another few minutes. "Forehead," Ino's sharp voice cut through the quiet like a cleaver. _

_'Or not,' Sakura smiled wistfully. A few minutes of silence were too much to ask for when she was around Ino."Pig," her tone lacked enthusiasm and interest. Sakura opened her eyes and stared down at her lap. Ino was pushing firmly down on the back of her head and her neck was beginning to ache but she would never voice her discomfort. The blonde would just prolong it. Ino was a sadistic to her core despite her cheerful smiles and playful, flirtatious nature. _

_The eighteen year old Yamanaka poked the tip of the weapon against the back of Sakura's neck. Sakura bit her lip to keep from turning her head and glaring at her best friend. She was at Ino's mercy. Maybe allowing the woman near her head with a sharp object was not such a good idea after all. "Yes Ino-chan?" Sakura asked as sweetly as she could. The kunai stopped poking her all together. _

_ 'Fiasco avoided,' the pinkette thought to herself smugly. She really should have spent her time studying to be a diplomat or an ambassador. She was a natural talent at avoiding hairy situations. After all, all the blondes in her life seemed hell bent on making everything so dramatic and complicated. She had her share of experience keeping everything in a functioning manner. _

_The blade was back slicing through her coarse ends. "I think I'm going to marry Choji when this war is over." Sakura felt herself freeze in place. Ino's casual and airy tone confused her. The blonde should have been lording the fact over her head, or at the very least Ino should have been holding it over her head and defiantly not bringing it up in such a dismissive manner. _

_"Ino?" If she could, she would have turned to spare her friend a confused look. She settled for lacing her tone with surprise. Inos' hand faltered which was another out of character trait. The blonde smiled sadly at the back of Sakura's head before continuing her movements. Sakura's locks dusted the floor around her._

_"Life is short, Sakura. It's even shorter for us shinobi. I don't want to wait, I want a family. I want happiness. You saw how quickly my dad died. There wasn't warning. He barely had time to say goodbye." Sakura's eyes watered at her friends tone. Ino was trying to be strong but her voice broke towards the end. Both women blinked back tears. Ino cleared her throat loudly and waited for her bottom lip to stop quivering. _

_"I don't want to end up alone and full of regrets like Shizune-sempai and Tsunade-sama." Sakura closed her eyes in understanding. The women Ino had just mentioned were each miserable in their own right. Shizune for not letting anyone love her and Tsunade for letting Dan die without having anything to show for it._

_Sakura licked her dry lips. She was not the only one who had changed. Ino had matured in her own right. "I'm happy for you," her eyes softened. Ino deserved happiness giving what had happened with her father. "I'm glad you two have each other. Your father would have been so proud." Ino had finished fixing her hair but neither woman made a move to get up. _

_"Forehead, you can still-" Sakura rose to her feet. She did not want to talk about any more. She was tired of Ino's pitiful attempts to make her feel better about herself. She did not want too. Ino watched Sakura run her finger through her chin length locks appreciatively. The blonde had done a marvelous job, as usual. Both kunoichi turned to see Shikamaru enter the tent. _

_"Sakura the third infantry sustained major damage. They're waiting in tent twenty-seven." Sakura nodded at him before turning to look back at the Ino who was still on her knees. She was chewing her lip in worry, which was a habit she had picked up from Sakura. She bent down to hug her friend for a split second. Ino did not even have time to return the gesture before Sakura was already half way to the entrance. She was running away again. She really was not that surprised. Tsunade had taught her the art of evasion well. _

_"Thanks for the haircut Ino. I really am happy for you." Her eyes reflected genuine content. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Sakura smiled brightly at the blonde. Ino watched with a heavy heart as her friend left with her teammate. She knew Sakura too well to fall for her fake smiles anymore. _

* * *

_Sakura ignored Shikamaru's eyes. She had long gotten over the unease of his calculating gaze. She had learned to just accept the fact that Shikamaru looked at everything and everyone that way. It was one of the many quirks that made him who he was. _

_"She still worries about you, you know." His lazy drawl did not bother her anymore. They both studied the blue sky. The number of clouds was abundant and it was on days like this that they would cloud gaze together. Sakura found the activity to be very relaxing and therapeutic after a long day of hardship and numbness. _

_"I know, but who doesn't?" She looked from underneath her lashes at him. The smile she wore on her face was playful. But the Nara's sharp eyes knew that it was forced. Over the years Sakura had gotten better at hiding her true feelings but he could still see through her, as most of her close friends could. _

_She had seen more than her share of death. More so than anyone else from their year and he could only imagine the pain it caused her. His own heart was hollow. He had lost his father and Temari. He was not ever going to be the same, none of them were. _

_"How bad is it?" She turned her attention back to the sky. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He dismissed the scrunching of her nose. He already knew how she felt about his habit but she had come to accept it, albeit begrudgingly. She understood that he needed them. The cancer sticks, as she so affectionately called them, were his crutch. They allowed him to keep a hold on sanity. _

_He closed his eyes and was slow to open them. She was mentally preparing herself. He took a long drag before he answered her. "Bad," the infantry had been more or less wiped out. The dozen that remained from the two thousand man squad were mutilated and barely recognizable. It was an unbelievable that they were still drawing breath. _

_He heard her sigh loudly. He really did not envy her. His job was difficult enough, he was responsible for coming up with strategies for what remained of the alliance, but her task was another headache altogether. Sakura was a kind person by nature. He knew that she took each loss to heart and he did not know how much more she could endure. _

_The Sakura they had once known was beginning to recede in the woman that walked besides him. They only saw flashes of that Sakura when she was with Naruto or Kakashi. That blonde and the Hatake were the only ones that could bring that part of her back. But they were busy on the front lines. Naruto was needed there more to keep moral up. Shikamaru would have to suffice for today. _

_"I'll be waiting." Sakura smiled sadly at him before vanishing behind the flap of the tent he held open for her. He watched her get swallowed by the dark green canvas. She would need him._

* * *

_True to his word he was waiting for her. There was a cigarette perched on the tip of his lips and judging from the size he had just lit it. His head snapped up when she emerged from the tent covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. She watched apathetically as he stomped it out without hesitation. The dark rings under his eyes, were even more pronounced than usual against the pale parlor of his skin. _

_"Sakura," she looked at the sky. It was early morning. She had worked through the night. Her eyes scanned Shikamaru's crumpled clothing, out of place hair, and exhausted eyes. He had spent the night outdoors. She fell in step with him. They walked in silence until they reached a small clearing. The same clearing that was their preferred spot. _

_No one would see her cry here. No one would be hear her breakdown. No one but Shikamaru, but he had learned to accept that about her. She took him for what he was because he did the same for her. They were just two broken people that sought each other's company. They both lost people near and dear to their hearts._

_After the death of his father, Shikamaru had turned to his teammates for support. But once Temari died he had began to distance himself from them and for good reason. His friends were in love with each other and while they tried to keep their displays of affection to a minimum, he still felt an ache when he saw them together. _

_He was happy for them, but he needed keep his interactions with them down. When Ino and Choji were together it just reminded him of what he had with Temari and more importantly, it reminded him of what he lost. He would comfort her because Sakura had been there when Temari passed a year ago. They were seventeen and the blow had rocked the Nara. Her death came a few short months after Shikaku's death. _

_Temari held significance in Shikamaru's heart. When Sakura had conducted her autopsy on the blonde's body, she had discovered that Temari was three weeks pregnant with Shikamaru's baby. She had chosen to spare him of that fact. She feared that it would completely destroy him. She knew just how fragile the genius was. It was after her death that Sakura had decided to spend more time with him. She needed to assure herself that Shikamaru would be alright. And he had done the same when Sasuke had drawn his last breath. _

_There was not any attraction between the Haruno and Nara. They were just two people that lost people they cared about around the same time. Sasuke had died within two weeks of Temari. The news had been hard on Naruto and Sakura. Perhaps it was only harder on Kakashi. He had to bury another comrade while he was still breathing. It was not logical but the Hatake blamed himself for Sasuke's demise. _

_He had failed to keep him in the village but so had Sakura and Naruto. The original members tormented themselves to different degrees about the last Uchiha's death. And Sakura was too guilty and shattered to seek much comfort from her old teammates. The original members of the genin team avoided the subject of Sasuke altogether. _

_But she needed to talk about him occasionally with someone, and that someone just happened to be Shikamaru by default. So the two of them had formed an even closer bond than the one they shared back in Konoha. Sakura went from being Ino's friend to being his friend. And he went from being Ino's teammate to her confidant. _

_The sounds of her broken sobs rang out in the clearing and he patiently let her lean against his shoulder until she cried herself out. Not once did he even think to say the word 'troublesome' out loud because that would just be redundant and unnecessary. And he was too lazy for that. _

_End of FlashBack_

* * *

The memories were coming in waves now. It was rare that a minute would go by and she was not reminded about someone in her past. Each memory carved into her heart even more. She did not know how much more she could take.

Even the numbness would pass and all she would be is a broken, shattered, shell of the person she used to be. She was on the verge of going insane. But anything would be better than what she was feeling now. She sent a silent prayer for salvation.

* * *

Minato strained his ears but his efforts were acknowledged by silence. She had slept through the night and even until the late morning. He sighed loudly and tugged at his locks in a frustrated manner.

He glared at the ceiling on his living room. The couch that he had slept on was too soft for his liking. His back would ache for the remainder of the day, reminding him of the cost of his selfless act. But that was not what had kept him up all night.

For the second time, he had been mistaken for a person named Naruto. When Sakura had broken down yesterday, her eyes had taken a far off look to them. He had recognized it instantly. She was lost in her thoughts. She was trapped in the past. She was reliving a painful memory in which someone had just died and she blamed herself for it. And she was asking this Naruto for forgiveness.

She was killing herself by picking at old wounds. He really did not understand why she would willingly do that to herself. Why was she so eager to hurt herself? Why did she shun reality for devastating recollections? What was it that was still anchoring her? What was making her look back? What was keeping her from being happy? Maybe it was a better question to ask 'who' was keeping her from being happy.

Minato rubbed his temples. He had been piecing together everything she had said yesterday with everything that he had gathered himself. She came from the direction of the Hokage Tower, he knew because she was in no condition to actively make an effort in changing her path. It took him only a few seconds to completely retrace her steps to form a mental picture.

So she had spoken with the Hokage and that explained why she looked so tormented. The old geezer must have forced the truth out of her. Minato tried to rationalize the Hokage's actions. The man had been patient with Sakura. He only asked her because he must have been confident in the strength of her mental psyche. But clearly the Hokage had been wrong to make such a conclusion.

If Sakura had been shaken up because the skeletons of her past had been brought up, then it was only logical to deduce that Naruto was part of her past. Naruto was no doubt an important figure in her life. Though he only knew Sakura for a short amount of time, Minato was convinced that only someone close to her could make her cry as much as she had. He had never seen her cry, not even when she was buried alive by boulders. She did not even bat an eye when he had injured her during their spar. She was strong in both a physical and mental sense. It was clear to him that she cared about Naruto. And as much as it killed Minato to admit it but she may even love the man.

This Naruto character might be the reason why she acted so strange around him. Since he had been mistaken for him more than once that meant he must resemble him. But he did not know enough about Naruto to make anymore leaps than that. As far as he was concerned, he was the last Namikaze so Naruto could not be related to him. Maybe Naruto was a Yamanaka? They were known for their blonde hair and blue eyes. Or maybe Naruto was somehow related to Tsunade? There were too many possibilities and he did not have enough facts to rule any of them out. He did not want to think that Naruto might even have a relation with him. That fact would only complicate matters.

He did know one thing: Sakura must really value Naruto's opinion of her because she had essentially groveled for forgiveness yesterday. Mianto clenched his jaw to the point that it was painful. He did not even know the man but he found himself resenting him. What kind of person made another beg for forgiveness? What could she have possible done to warrant such an action?

Only one thing stood in his way but how could he clear his hurdle, if the hurdle was not even in front of him?

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Sakura smiled tiredly at the pair of Kumo nin that stood before, the gesture was completely hollow. She had stopped feeling since the day Kakashi had died. His death had only been five days ago and she did not give herself enough time to mourn him. She worked from the moment of sun rise to sun down. She worked until she was too tired to think and to even dream. If she had a moment to catch her breath, she knew what-who- waited on the other side. She did not want to face her sensei, whether it was in her dreams or her thoughts. _

_The male returned her smile pleasantly enough but the kunoichi looked close to hitting her. She ignored the woman's rudeness and turned to her teammate. "What can I do for you, Omoi-san?" She had forgiven the pair for their desire to kill Sasuke before the war had begun. But she had yet to forgive Karui for beating Naruto to a pulp. Perhaps she never would._

_They did not visibly look injured but Sakura was too wise to take anything for face value. It had been three and a half days since she had spoken to the blonde. Her heart panged at the mere thought of him. She had been meaning to talk to him but things kept getting in the way. _

_"The kyuubi's chakra has left burn marks. We were wondering if you could take a look." She was beyond exhausted from spending the day healing similar injuries. But she did not have the heart to turn away his hopeful face. Karui, on the other hand, she had no reservations about turning her away. _

_Sakura fought back a sigh and gave a painfully tight smile. "No problem. I would be more than happy too." She was lying through her teeth. She no longer felt anything. Nothing would make her happier than speaking with Naruto again and having Kakashi alive but that was still off the table. Omoi nodded thankfully at her as he took a seat. Sakura watched with dull eyes as he pulled off his vest and jacket. His skin was marred by chakra burns. They were not severe but they did look painful. _

_Nauto's skin had developed a type of resistance to the kyuubi's chakra that allowed it to stay more or less intact when he used it. It had hardened from the number of times that it had peeled off from using the beast's chakra in the past. Others, however, did not have such resistance or his regenerative ability. While the chakra had kept them all alive and rejuvenated it came at a price. Their bodies simply were not able to withstand the presence of such a powerful force for too long. _

_Still burnt skin, aching bones, and exhaustion were a small price to pay for their lives. The benefits of Naruto's chakra far outweighed the negative consequences. Sakura hovered her hands around his tan pecs and allowed what remained of her energy to heal the Kumo shinobi. The procedure did not last more than a few minutes but she was seeing doubles. She now had two Karuis scowling at her._

_"Ready?" Sakura blinked at her. Her vision corrected for a split second before it blurred again. The Kumo kunoichi shot a look over Sakura's shoulder at her teammate. He left wordlessly. The red haired woman pulled off her top in an agitated manner. _

_Sakura moved her hands to be closer to the woman's chest wrapping before her curt voice snapped like a whip. "How do you live with yourself?" Her yellow cat-like eyes glared at Sakura. They held contempt and so much worse._

_The medic ignored her in favor of speeding the healing process. If she focused what remained of her chakra, she could heal the woman faster and spare herself of being around her for another minute. "He loves you, and you don't give him the time of day! We all know how he feels about you." She snarled at Sakura with malice. _

_Sakura's heart stammered in her ears. She did not risk moving. She did not want to meet Karui's eyes. She had no right to do that. "You're a real bitch, you know. You kept stringing him along and when he tries to get close to you, you just push him away. You don't deserve him." Her voice stabbed Sakura right through the heart. Her words struck every pore in her body._

_ "I don't know what he sees in you. He's a great guy but he has a lousy taste in women. He's wasting him time on someone like you, especially when he can have the Hyuga Heiress. She's not a sorry excuse for a human being. At least she still has a heart. " Karui snorted loudly at the end of her admission. She was goading her, but Sakura could not even argue for her sake._

_Ino would have stuck up for her in a heartbeat and done so without being asked. She would have put even someone like Karui in her place. But Sakura always lacked the confidence her friend projected. It was that same confidence that had drawn her to Ino in the first place. Every word out of the Kumo nin's mouth was the truth. And she could not argue against fact. _

_Sakura lowered her hands. She had healed as much as she could. She was completely out of chakra, both in her coils and reserves. "I know." She whispered softly. The ice in Karui's eyes thawed at the hunched frame of Sakura. "I know that I don't deserve someone like him. I can't for the life of me figure out why he loves me." Karui licked her lips as the medic suddenly got up. The Kumo nin pulled her shirt over her head. The pain from her burns was gone. She might despise Sakura as a person but she was a respect worthy medic. She felt stronger than she had in weeks._

_"I don't even deserve his kindness, friendship, or comfort. Maybe it's for the best." The Kumo nin's attention snapped to the pinkette's broken expression. A small sliver of guilt raced through her. She did not expect Sakura to react this way. She had just assumed that the Konoha kunoichi was indifferent and uncaring of the way she treated Naruto. She had expected Sakura to put up more of a fight. A small part of her was disappointed that Sakura had so willingly agreed with her. She never meant to be so cold towards her but she had noticed how sad Naruto looked lately and it irked her. Once she had laid eyes on Sakura, the anger had boiled over. _

_"I-I" Karui searched for the right words to say. She had come ready to fight and argue, not comfort. "I need to go now." She got to her feet and left without another word. The guilt lodged itself firmly in her gut. She had never meant to make her cry. All she wanted to do was help her see just how much Naruto loved her and needed her. But her words had the opposite effect and it was for that reason that she preferred battles to conversations. _

_Sakura wiped her tears and let out a shaky sigh. She needed rest and there was no way around it. She had used up too much chakra and the only way to get it back was with a good night's sleep. But that would be too good to be true. She would be plagued by the weight of her conversation with Karui-if she could even call it that. _

_She took unsteady steps until she was out in the open air. The sky was gloomy and overcast. She walked until she could walk no more. Her feet had stopped at the familiar clearing, their spot for cloud gazing. She stared up at the heavens with closed eyes, a tilted chin, and upturned palms. 'Please just end all of this, end all the suffering I caused him. Kami-sama, I would do anything to end his misery.' _

_A searing pain ran through her. Sakura snapped her eyes open and let out a horrified whisper. "Zetsu." She stared at his yellow eyes. He was grinning maniacally at her. She looked down in sick fascination. His wrist was completely imbedded into the spot directly above her heart. His fingers poked through the other side of her. _

_"Not so tough now, are you?" In one fluid movement he pulled his hand out of her. A bubble of blood burst in her mouth. She landed on her back, with a convincing thud. The humanoid stood over her with one leg on either side of her torso, his white skin contrasted against the dark of the sky. "You die today, you little vermin." He vanished into the ground after stepping over her but Sakura was no longer worried about herself._

_She had asked for Kami to end the misery of Naruto and now maybe it would. She would no longer be around to cause him pain. He would finally be able to move on and find the happiness that he had earned. 'Goodbye Naruto. I'm sorry.' She closed her eyes and waited for her end to come. _

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Except her end never did come, and she never did stop causing him misery. Sakura blinked open her eyes. She was surrounded by a familiar aroma.

Damp forest.

She was in Minato's bed again. Sakura could not bring herself to be angry, or annoyed. She could not bring herself to anything. Her limbs felt as flexible as marble. Her whole body ached dully. She was hurting everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was bright inside and that let her know that it was the next day.

Sakura closed her eyes. It only took a moment for the images of a smiling blonde filled her head. A smiling blonde she would never see again. What had she done to possibly deserve such a terrible fate? She wished, not for the first time, that the Gods had just let her die. It would have been such a merciful end in comparison to living like this. She was living each day in regret.

She had lost everything. She had truly lost it. A part of her was always reassured that even if she could not be an integral part of Naruto's life that she would be content protecting him from afar. She had given into fantasies where she would act the part of silent protector. She had been reassuring herself that as long as Naruto was happy this time around that she could not complain. She would be happy as long as he was happy.

Her best friend had suffered enough in his childhood for three lifetimes and she had promised herself that he would finally be happy and that she would see to it. But all of that was gone now. It was nothing more than a silly pipe dream. There was no Naruto, no happiness, and certainly no justice. The Hokage had been right. The people of this timeline were different, this past was different.

She closed her eyes lethargically. This was not the past anymore. This was the present. This was _her _present. She was part of the present while all her friends were stuck in the limbo of the future. Who else would not be born? Sasuke, Lee, Neji, TenTen, Shikamaru, Temari, Ino? How many people's lives had she forsaken by simply existing?

Had she died that day on the battlefield Naruto still would have been alive and she did not care what the God's thought, as long as the future held Naruto it would be bright. He still could have won the war and the hearts of the kages. He still could have restored peace and end the senseless bloodshed. He could have accomplished so much if the Gods had a fraction of the faith she had in him. Their intervention just ended up dooming them all.

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. She did not fight them. There was no point. The only person she had wanted to be strong for was gone. He was not around to see her cry. He was not around to make the pain go away. _'Kami, I'll never see him again.' _ She did not allow herself to hope that his parents would somehow magically fall in love within the next three years in time to conceive him. No, they had known each other since they were six. Minato and Kushina had seventeen years to fall in love but they had not. Kushina did not have an opinion about Minato and Minato showed little to no interest in her. They were complete strangers, mere ships passing in the night. If only they would stop to say hello, they could be so happy.

A sob racked her frame. She let grief consume her. It was her only ally now. She felt weak and pathetic for the first time in over half a decade. She was powerless. She could not save her precious people. Everything was out of her hands. She was utterly useless. Everything Sasuke had thought about her was true. She did not know how to make things right. She could not make things right. No amount of training, wistful thinking, crying, screaming, and bleeding would do anything. She had created a mess that even she had no idea how to clean up. She did not even know where to begin. She was not a matchmaker, miracle worker. She was only Sakura and this time that was not good enough.

She could not force Minato and Kushina together. That would not be fair to them or Naruto. He would have wanted his parents to be happy whether that meant being together or not. He was selfless like that. He always prioritized other's happiness before his own. Sakura felt disgusted at herself. She had denied him an opportunity to be happy once again. She was always hurting him. It came naturally to her because she had always been an expert in crushing him. It was irrelevant what her intentions had been because the end result was still the same. There was no such thing as good intentions, only good actions. And she had neither.

She was the source of all of Naruto's pain and suffering. She was the reason why Minato and Kushina would never been truly happy. She was a prodigal and she was sucking everyone in with her. This failure was far worse than anything she had done in her time. At least he was alive when she had left him. A broken heart was still better than a motionless heart. A broken heart still had a chance to heal but the same could not be said for a still heart. Now his future was as assured as Sakura's confidence in herself. She had lost all faith in herself, her purpose, her place, and her role. Sakura fisted her hands into her hair and let out a silent scream. Her back arched off of the bed as she let out a tragic sob.

She had screwed up once again. She had let everyone down. She was not worthy of their trust. She was always failing them. All she ever did was fail her precious people, she failed Sasuke when she could not convince him t o stay, she failed Naruto when she made him promise to bring Sasuke back and she had failed him again today, she had failed Tsunade by not being able to save the woman from herself, she failed Kakashi by being a worthless student and for contributing to his end, she failed Ino by letting her bleed to death in her arms, she had failed Akemi the woman who literally given her life in exchange for Sakura's. She had failed them all. And she would continue failing them all.

"Stupid, useless, pathetic woman, you're a failure and a disgrace." She shouted at herself pulling her hair hard enough to draw blood. She deserved the pain, she deserved to feel twice the amount of pain that she had inflicted on her loved ones and even then that would not be enough to redeem herself. She was beyond redemption. Why Naruto was so kind to someone like her was beyond her knowledge. Even she did not want to associate with herself. She was a disgrace. She should have been stripped of the right to call herself Haruo Sakura. Her name was too good for her. Her family and friends were too good for her.

She had a beautiful life that she did not deserve. Her childhood was peaceful. How sheltered was she, when the biggest obstacle she had to overcome was a few bullies? And she did not even overcome it on her own. No, she needed Ino to do the dirty work for her. Sakura always relied on others to do the work for her. She relied on Naruto to chase after Sasuke to hide her own shortcomings. She relied on Ino to give her confidence because she lacked it on her own. She relied on Tsunade to give her medical training and unimaginable strength because she was inherently useless and weak. She relied on Kakashi for comfort because she was a cowardly person by nature.

She was a leech, she relied on others to loan her the traits she lacked. And when the time came to protect them and fight for them she crumbled at the first sign of trouble. She was a parasite far worse than any other kind. She was the reason so many of her friends died. Had she not held them back they would have survived. Had they not stopped their own progression to help her along the way, she would have been the one six feet under. She was a parasite that had killed them discretely and slowly with each passing day she had clung to them.

"You are." A frigid voice brought her attention to her left. She watched through a curtain of locks as Minato regarded her coldly, the disgust in his eyes reflected the self loathing Sakura felt towards herself perfectly. She did not argue with him. She _could not_ argue with him. He was absolutely right. "You're a shinobi with a mission and instead of doing it you are wallowing in your own self pity. It's pathetic." He spat at her. His eyes were cutting into her just as much as his words were.

He was disappointed and angry with her. She had failed even him. He had given her such high praise the day they had met and she had proven him as a liar. She had turned the great Yondaime into a liar. She completely ruined his credibility. "You're an embarrassment to every Konoha nin." Sakura's eyes glazed over as she accepted the hurt and devastation, his words were crushing. Why did it hurt so much to hear it from him? He was doing nothing more than simply voicing her thoughts out loud. So why did each one of his words break her already shattered heart?

"You should be doing your damn job instead of pinning after this Naruto." Sakura felt what remained of her heart implode on itself.

"Don't." She warned in a hoarse whisper. Her throat was raw from her crying. She hated the way he said Naruto's name. He had spat it out like a curse. It rolled off his tongue like acid. He said his name as if it was an insult in of itself.

"Don't what? Naruto must have been even more pathetic than you, if he cared for your sorry ass." He pushed himself off the wall and was sneering down at her. His face was mere millimeters away from hers. Their noses were touching.

"Don't." She repeated more firmly with the rage in her eyes clearly visible. Something in his voice snapped her back. Just the way he said her best friend's name unleashed her. No one talked about Naruto that way as long as she was still breathing. And she did not care who she had to level to defend him.

"Naruto deserved to die. He was probably a weakling like you." Minato pressed on. He ignored the fact that Sakura had suddenly sat up and was shaking with rage. Her green eyes narrowed into slits. A low growl ripped through her throat. _'Good just a little more,'_ she was coming alive in front of his eyes. "You know what I think? I think that even someone as lowly as you, wasted your time on Naruto."

He opened his mouth to say more but had the wind knocked out of him instead. He was pushed back until his head crunched loudly against the wall. His back skid painfully against the rug in his room, it burned him. Minato looked up the furious kunoichi on top of him. Her eyes were a dark emerald green and her face was absolutely animalistic. '_Shit,'_ he thought as he waited his fate.

"Don't you dare say another word about Naruto or I'll kill you!" She grabbed him roughly by the scruff of the neck and punched him again. And again. Minato silently took her fists without protest. His vision was beginning to blur, his ribs ached but he readily accepted her punishment. Her anger was refreshing and it filled him with hope. Her punches began to die down to soft taps and her snarls had morphed into sobs. "You don't understand anything. I lost everything! I have nothing left fighting for." She said between sobs. Her shoulders were shaking violently. Minato tried to get up but she was still straddling his waist. So he settled for gently wiping the trickles of blood off her forehead. Most of them had dried in her hair. "

You still have their memory, Sakura." Minato began softly. His breath was haggard because of his broken ribs and his split lip only muddled his words even more. Sakura stopped shaking and stared at him with wide eyes. Her tears continued to stream down her face and onto his. One landed on his lip and the salt sent a wave of pain through him.

"You still have Konoha. Honor their memory by protecting the village and people they gave up their lives to defend. Honor them by living Sakura. Honor them by being happy." The pain was unbearable and it did not help the situation that Sakura was further agitating his ribs with her weight. She had a small frame but that same frame was layered with muscles. She weighed more than her stature gave the impression of and he was feeling each pound on top of his broken ribs. But his pain was nothing compared to the pain the woman in front of him was feeling. He would eventually heal, he could only hope of a similar fate for her.

Something seemed to finally fall in place for Sakura because she hastily got off of him. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Minato." She mumbled. "How could have I been so stupid?" The anguish was clear on her face and it tugged at his heart.

"We are all a little stupid when it comes to the people we love, Sakura-chan." He gently reassured her while his hand brushed the tears off her cheeks. He smiled so big at her that it started to hurt. His split lip stretched across his face and it caused Sakura's heart to plummet with guilt. Sakura quickly composed herself and began to access the damage she had done. She had broken six of his ribs, given him a concussion, and punched the living daylights out of him. There was blood beginning to pool around Minato. She had given his back rug burn. And he had let her.

Without any complaint and she for the life of her could not figure out why Minato did something so stupid. She could have easily killed him in her blind rage. Without any hesitation Sakura brought her chakra laced hands to his chest and silently began to reverse her damage. Minato released a relieved sigh as the throbbing pain began to ease into a dull ache. He greedily drank in the face of the woman in front of him. If it made her feel better he would gladly let her beat him to a pulp again. Her eyes were full of something other than misery and sorrow. He was hopeful that she would be fine.

When she was done Sakura found that she could not meet his eyes. She was ashamed by her actions. She had been a burden to him. She had broken down in his arms and then thanked him for his kindness by beating him to death. She knew that his words towards Naruto were not sincere. He had used Naruto's name to snap her out of her self-loathing and depression. He used Naruto's name to bring her back. "Thank you." She muttered in a mixture of embarrassment, shame, and fatigue. She had nothing left in terms on energy. She was spent. Another day would be wasted on sleep.

Minato frowned at the woman's inability to look him in the eye. He gingerly lifted her chin so that she was forced to look at him. "Sakura, I mean it. You need to let yourself be happy. They would not want you to feel guilty. You don't have to let yourself get swallowed by survivor's guilt." Sakura looked at him with sad eyes. She wanted to believe him, she really did.

"How do you know?" She asked him softly. Her eyes slid closed. He was too close to her. She needed to get away from him. But she remained rooted in her spot. He smelt too nice to move away. "I know because you care deeply for them. They must be amazing, forgiving people if you love them." Sakura's eyes snapped open at his words. She stared at him completely floored. He was the second person to ever say something like that to her. The first man had said it after she had rejected his love.

_'Could Minato?'_ She quickly shook her head. _'Minato loves Kushina. Minato loves Kushina. Minato loves Kushina,'_ she painfully reminded herself again and again. Each time she repeated it, the weaker her resolved seemed. She could feel her control slipping and she let it. Minato cupped her face with his hand. He stared at her completely smothering her with his expression.

"So no more wallowing, okay?" His tone made it clear that she had no options. She would not wallow or she would suffer the consequences, whatever those might be. Her eyes flicked her to his lips. They were so inviting.

"Okay." She said weakly. _'Minato loves Kushina. Minato loves Kushina. Minato loves Kush-.'_ Sakura steadied herself by grabbing his broad shoulders as she lowered herself to place a feather-light kiss on his lips.

Maybe she could blame in on the depression, the trauma, or their close proximity but Sakura let her walls down. She allowed herself a moment of weakness. She let herself fall to her body's need and she kissed the man in front of her again, because once had defiantly not been enough. Sakura had caught him off guard with the first kiss. It was so light and timid that he thought he had imaged it. He saw the second one coming. He closed his eyes the moment her lips pressed against his firmly.

He found himself responding to her kiss eagerly. The rational part of him mind reminded him that Sakura was mentally exhausted and thus was not thinking clearly. This kiss meant nothing. He needed to remind himself. The way she held on to him and tasted him meant nothing. The way she pressed their bodies together meant nothing. He needed to hold on to realty and not what his fantasies were. He tried to tell himself but no amount of logic to deny the fact that he was enjoying himself. He never wanted to stop. He never wanted to let go of her.

* * *

He begrudgingly forced himself to listen to logic. He pulled away from the kiss but left his forehead touching hers. "Sakura, you need to rest." He said in a low voice perfectly concealing its huskiness. Sakura just nodded at him through half laden eyes. Seeing that she was in no position to move on her own will power Minato easily gathered her in his arms. He made sure to tuck her in completely, it was a chilly day. Her arm shot out and caught his wrist when he turned to leave.

"Rin, I was supposed to meet her today in my office." She said in a groggy voice. She was struggling to focus on him properly. The kisses had left her even more dizzy and lightheaded then before. But she needed to let Rin know, she had an obligation to chunnin.

"I'll take care of it." He promised. He turned to leave but not before he heard her mutter another 'sorry' under her breathe. His brow furrowed. What did she have to be sorry about? Yelling at him? He had goaded her into it. Hitting him? He had basically begged her to pummel him. Burdening him? He never saw her as a burden and never will. Kissing him? He felt his stomach lurch at the idea. He sighed and set about getting ready to meet his team. He was over two hours late. He licked his lips one last time to remember the sweet lingering taste in his mouth before he headed out the door without looking back.


	14. Right Feel so Wrong

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Warning Contains: spoilers, language, blood, gore, and suggestive situations  
**

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Hello Dear Readers,

I hope that all of you are well. The weather is starting to transition and become colder, so naturally my school is littered with sick people. And all of them are trying to make me join their ranks. Hopefully, none of you are getting sick because I know just how inconvenient and unfunny it is. I'm trying my best to avoid it for as long as possible. And hopefully, you'll do the same.

This is my longest chapter to date, with more than nine thousand words. It may not seem like much when you're reading them but trust me, it becomes a chore trying to write, read, write again and then finally proofread. It takes a lot of time from my day, and I should be studying but I won't tell anyone if you won't.

So anyways, thanks to all of those who left reviews. Your thought leave me truly feeling invincible and awesome- two things that I defiantly am not. I appreciate all the support, constructive criticism, and the suggestions. You all are so patient with me, so thanks. Just as a heads up the next few chapters will be predominantly about Sakura, which is typically what you guys want so it works out perfectly. I want to help establish her personality and character as much as I can before the plot truly thickens.

So internet friends, I hope that this chapter is to your liking. I would really appropriate it if you left something kind for me to read after you're done reading this chapter. You're thoughts, comments, and concerns are always welcomed. It does not take long to leave a review but it makes my day. Let me know what you think and I'll be back in a week or so. Until next time!

~L.H.

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**Chapter Fourteen: Right Feel so Wrong**

She kissed him.

Kami, she had kissed him! Not just once, but twice. Sakura for the life of her could not figure out what had possessed her to do something so stupid, so boneheaded, and so self-destructive. She might as well have driven a kunai straight through Naruto's back and into her heart. She had just made her life significantly more difficult. And she had done so willingly.

It had not been her first kiss. That kiss had been given on the battlefield and it had left her heartbroken and hollow. That kiss had left both of them with regrets. He regretted what could have been and she regretted not being able to return his affections. He had loved her but she never felt that way about him.

* * *

_Flashback: _

_"Sakura! You have to help him!" Gai pulled at her arm roughly. He was dragging her with so much force that her feet barely even grazed the ground. She blinked back the double vision. She could not let another comrade die, especially one as important as Lee. She would never be able to face TenTen again. The kunoichi had lost so much already, she did not want to have to break her heart all over again. _

_She sank to her knees by his side. He had a severe head wound. She could see a chuck of his brain. His skull had been completely obliterated. Her eyes fixed on a pool of blood the size of a watermelon. His insides were exposed to the open air. His intestines dangled out of his torso, they looked too grotesque and rubbery to be real. _

_Sakura swallowed back the bile in her throat. Lee had been completely mauled from the outside in. She vaguely registered that Gai was barking orders from behind her. His voice was panicked and there was the barest hint of a quiver. It sounded so scared and desperate. It mirrored how she felt. _

_The infantry had been ambushed while they were still making preparations to head out. She had ran to the scene as fast as she could but she had to heal many on her way to Lee. She could only manage minor healings now and nothing short of a forbidden jutsu would save Lee. She cared about him, but she was saving that jutsu for another. She hoped it would not come to that, he would never forgive her. _

_"Lee-san," she said gently. She was not sure how much longer the nineteen year old had. He needed a miracle not a medic. His dark orbs rolled to the right to look at her. They were losing the light in them. His face was drained of color and glow. He already looked pale enough to be a corpse. His life was leaving him in rivulets. _

_"Sa-kura," he began wetly. He lifted a shaky hand and she met him halfway. She gripped it firmly in her hand. She could funnel her chakra into him but it would be for show only. There nothing she could do for him and from the weak smile on Lee's blood covered lips, he knew it too. His time was running out and there was no hope of saving him. _

_She had warned him to take it easy, to rest, to let his body fully recover from the constant strain he put on it. But Lee was a man of action. He pushed himself too far regularly and it had finally caught up with him. He had brought this upon himself. Her heart broke for all the people that had come to appreciate and respect the exuberant taijutsu specialist._

_ Her tears pelted his face. He blinked each time the salty drops made contact with his skin. Gai was crying behind her. He was too grief stricken to bother with concealing his wails. They had said their goodbyes before she even arrived on the scene._

_She had been called over as an act of desperation. He had only reached out to her as an excuse to do something other than watch as his prized pupil bleed out. Lee was much more than a student. He was the son that Gai always wanted. He was Gai's contribution to the world and he was now dying before his eyes. He would have to bury another student. At least Asuma had died before he had to experience the same heart wrenching pain and agony. The Sarutobi would not have taken the loss of Ino and Choji well.  
_

_"I ha-have a re-quest." His voice was breaking. He was on the verge breaking but he was not completely broken, just yet. Even when faced with death, Lee was still showing strength. He had more courage in him than she could ever hope to have. He was nothing short of a perfect shinobi. He carried himself with class and grace. He did not deserve the end that befell him. He had earned so much more. _

_"Anything Lee-san," Sakura looked at him with guilt. Maybe she should try to do something for him. After all, he had done so much for her through the years. He had risked his life to protect her from the Oto shinobi during the Chunnin Exams. He had reassured her that he would keep her safe when they faced Haku and Zabuza again. He had always looked out for her. Now it was her turn. _

_At the very least she should be able to honor his last request. She would do everything in her power to make it become reality, whatever it may be. She owed him that much. She was getting too good at looking at someone in the eye while they died. She was beginning to become somewhat of a specialist in the art of saying goodbye. She hated it. She hated what this war had turned her into. _

_His other trembling hand cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch. His breathing was coming in ragged puffs. The medic in her wanted to tell him to conserve his strength but that would be a wasted recommendation. He was dying. And he would continue to die, regardless if he stopped talking or not. She wanted to hear what he had to say. She wanted to have his words to distract her from what was happening. _

_His fingers were freezing even though the air was muggy and hot. His thumb stroked her skin softly. She looked into his eyes with as much composure as she could. He had seen her cry too many times in the past. She wanted to be strong for him, for herself. "Sm-mile for me. Ju-just once mo-re." Sakura let out a heartbroken laugh. She knew what he really wanted from her, but he was too big of a gentleman to ask for it. _

_She lowered her lips until they met his cold ones. There was barely any contact, her lips hovered over his. It was hardly a full lip lock. Lee was having trouble breathing. She did not want to contribute to the problem and make matters worse for him. The kiss was short, sad, and utterly sparkless. It left her full of regret and pain. It was nothing like what a first kiss should have been, but she was a shinobi. They were shinobi. How many of her fellow ninja had died before they experienced such a sensation?_

_The silly grin and far off look on Lee's face made it worth the inner turmoil and guilt she experienced. She had just made one of his dreams come true. As silly as it sounded, she had just made his fantasy a reality. He still loved her but she felt nothing more than friendship towards him. She was happy that she could at least give him his last wish. _

_"You're an incredible shinobi, Lee. It was an honor to know you." It would be wrong to call him Lee-san now. They had just given each other their first kiss. Such formalities had no place with them now. She smiled through her tears at him. "I'll never forget you." She promised him fiercely. It was the first genuine smile she had worn in years. _

_The hand on her cheek went limp.  
_

_End of flashback_

* * *

Her kiss with Minato had been so different. She had felt something other than despair and sadness. She was not left longing for something else, something more, and something different. She had been satisfied when their lips met. She had felt every cell in her body come alive. The world had stopped, her brain had stopped, and her cursed thoughts had been silenced. The aching and depression had been pushed away. At the moment she was not Sakura, she was not a kunoichi. She was just a woman who was in the arms of a man. It was so simple, so plain, so comforting and natural.

He had given her a break from thinking about the unbelievable amount of pressure that was on her. He made her forget how lonely, how sad, how broken, and how scared she was. When she was kissing him she was happy, she was light, and she was free. When she kissed him, she had given into her desires.

She was falling for him and that much was undeniable. And what was worse she remembered every detail of it. She had been exhausted but the jolt of electricity she had experience when she kissed him, had pushed back the tired fog long enough for her to store every detail in her brain. It kept playing back in her mind on repeat.

She remembered how strong his shoulders had felt under her hands. She remembered how his lips were slightly chapped. She even remembered how it felt when his callused fingers danced across her arms. Sakura snapped her eyes open to end the torment. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks. She avoided getting sleep because she knew that Minato would haunt her in her dreams. She was a mess, even more so than before the Iwa mission. That level of anxiety was child's play compared to what she was dealing with now.

She jumped at the slightest sight of yellow. It had become her least favorite color. Just a flash of the saffron had her heart pounding and palms sweating. She was rendered completely nonfunctional before it. The color had her knees shaking and breathing in stitches. She needed help but she did not have the slightest clue on where to get it.

She was lost in this Konoha, it confused her. This Konoha mocked her with what she could not have. It flaunted all its assets that could never be hers. These people were not from her time, she was not supposed to develop bonds with any of them. Every relationship she had established was built on a foundation of lies. She was dreadfully waiting for it to all come down on her. The only people who knew her complete truth were the Hokage and to a lesser extent Minato. She could not burden the kage with her petty issues. He had a village to run. And she could not turn to Minato for obvious reasons. His name was taboo for her.

She was in way over her head and she had no idea how to stop it. She was the one who had initiated the kisses. She was the one who invited drama into her life. She was the one that had let herself get caught up in his charm, when she had known better. She was the one who had crossed her own boundaries. She was the one who had blurred the lines and turned the tables.

Now, she just had to live with her poorly though out decision. It was so bad that for the first time in her life Sakura had acted without thinking, at all. She had let her mind go blank and her heart had committed an act of ultimate treachery. She had learned her lesson the hard way. She would never act without thinking. Her brain needed to keep a secure lock on her heart. She figured the heart break she was about to suffer would drive the point home. If she knew what was good for her, she would never let her walls down again. They were there for a reason. They were there to protect her from people like Minato and people like herself.

* * *

Jiraiya willed the contents of his stomach to remain down. His dark eyes meet the lifeless gaze of a pale grey haired man. Or at least, what had been a man before Orochimaru had kidnapped, experimented, and suspended him in a glass container. Even in death, the specimen had been denied dignity. He was completely naked while he stood forever embedded in a thick sap like substance. His dusky hair fanned around him. His eye sockets were bare and from the agonized expression on his face, they had been gouged out while he was still alive.

Jiraiya moved his feet to the next glass container. This one was smaller and his heart pulsed at the reason why. It housed a child, another one of Orochimaru's failed experiments. The boy's hair was as white as his own. But the roots were a dull crimson. At one point his hair was probably a vibrant red. The boy was an Uzumaki, the container was labeled with the clan's symbol.

Orochimaru was obsessed with immortality so it was only logical that he would conduct extensive experiments on Uzumaki's. They were known for their resilience and long lifespan. The young boy's glazed over eyes stared back at him. His stomach turned as he forced his feet to lead him deeper into the catacomb.

None of this should have come as a surprise. There had been rumors circulating for years about children, men, and woman going missing. Whole families simply vanished and the locations always seemed to correlate with areas Orochimaru was assigned a mission. Other villages had outright accused him of being responsible but they had always protected him. Orochimaru was his teammate. He had to take his word over the word of a stranger. He had trusted him so he turned a blind eye to the man's suspicious behavior.

The signs had all been there but he had overlooked them because he _wanted _too. He wanted to believe that his teammate was innocent. He wanted to believe that Orochimaru could never even imagine to do the things people accused him of. He had lied to their faces for years. But they had protected him.

Sarutobi, Tsunade and him had all protected him. But now as he stared at the scared eyes of a decapitated head of a young woman not much older than Sakura, he realized just how foolish and costly their actions-inactions- had been. Had they stopped him sooner, how many lives could have been spared?

The sound of his sandals making contact with the hard, stone floor vibrated off the walls. He was not concerned with being undetected. He did not even bother to mask his chakra. Orochimaru, no doubt, already knew who had trespassed on his site. A site that was so close to Konoha that it made Jiraiya's skin crawl. His former teammate really did not fear being caught. They had made him untouchable from other villages and even their own village.

The sannin pressed his lips in a firm line. Today Orochimaru would finally be brought back down to earth. He was no longer protected. He would finally answer to his sins. It was because of one individual that all of this was possible. And whether she realized it or not, she had already saved countless lives and changed the course of the future. Orochimaru would die because he was beyond redemption. Even Jiraiya had to admit that fact.

* * *

"Sakura-shishou, I did it!" Rin's delighted exclamation was more than a welcomed distraction for Sakura. Sakura watched as the fish flopped on the table. The brunette hastily threw it back in the small pound that was residing in the room. Despite her inner demons Sakura found herself smiling at her student with equal enthusiasm.

"You certainly did, Rin. Do you think that you can handle learning the basics of the chakra scalpel?" Her apprentice nodded emphatically but Sakura could see the tired undertone of her eyes. She was not the only one that was skirting on sleep. This girl was stubborn just like her. She placed a firm hand on her shoulder causing the brunette to look up at her, mildly surprised. "Go home Rin." The girl looked put out. Sakura laughed at her apprentice's antics."Read these scrolls on chakra manipulation and I'll demonstrate tomorrow."

"Hai Sakura-shishou!" Rin wrapped Sakura in a quick hug. The act of boldness surprised the pinkette. She watched as the girl practically bounced out the door. Sakura sighed, Rin had taken her good mood away with her.

* * *

"I'm home." Sakura called out while setting a bag of groceries on the kitchen counters. She had just managed to avoid getting drenched. The second she closed the front door the sound of pounding rain reached her ears. "Kushina!" She called over the storm. She heard footsteps running down the stairs frantically and that was her only warning. Before Sakura could even sigh in protest, she found herself enveloped in a tight hug. She was actually lifted a few inches off the ground. She patted Kushina on the shoulder as a force of habit.

"Sakura-chan!" Kushina's eyes sparkled with mischievous delight once she had finally set the medic firmly on the ground. "Did you get ramen?" She asked not bothering to contain her excitement. Sakura merely pointed to the take-out containers on the counter. If possible, her roommate's eyes lit up even more. "You're the best Sakura-chan, dattebane!" Kushina grabbed the containers with one hand and grabbed Sakura's arm with the other and she practically dragged the other girl to the table.

* * *

"So I've been thinking." Kushina began after the women had situated themselves. Kushina was already making her way through half her meal. Sakura was not far behind her, she had a long day so, understandably, she was famished.

"Uh-oh this can't be good." Sakura teased, taking pride in Kushina's sour look. She twirled the long noodles around her chopsticks in thought. She was remembering Naruto again. If it was not Minato who was tormenting her it was his blonde doppelganger. Getting under her skin ran in the family, she supposed.

"Well it should be, because I was thinking of taking your advice." Kushina pointed her chopsticks at Sakura in an accusing manner. Sakura's eyes focused on the redhead. She was defiantly even more invested now. Sakura racked her brain but came up empty.

"My advice?" Her tone was inquisitive. She gave a lot of advice on a daily basis. For instance: Kushina should do laundry more often, Kushina should think about taking up a genin team (she was always complaining that she had too much time on her hands), Kushina should help Sakura clean the apartment they shared, Kushina should eat more vegetables,- and no the vegetables in ramen do not count-, Kushina should really practice her taijutsu more-it was really horrendous. Her friend needed to be a tad more specific.

Kushina nodded her head sagely before turning beet red. Now Sakura interest was completely peaked. "Yeah remember what you said when we first had ramen together?" She began quietly. It was in an almost timid manner, a trait which was defiantly not Kushina.

"Just spit it out will ya'?" Sakura said irately. Maybe she could get Kushina to spill her guts faster if she was angry or flustered. The woman did have a quirky trait slipping whatever was on her mind when provoked. Her words usually came out a jumbled mess but Sakura had gotten surprisingly good at making sense of them.

Kushina puffed out her cheeks and glared at her friend. "IthinkikindamaybelikeMinatojustatinybit." Sakura blinked and proceeded to choke on a ramen noodle.

"You like Minato?" Kushina looked at her friend amazed how had she managed to figure that out, she was talking a mile a minute. She barely understood herself.

"Yeah and I was thinking that I'll ask him to have ramen with me. You think that's a good idea?" Kushina looked at her with big hopeful eyes. "I mean it's not weird that I ask him out? You're always saying that gender roles are stupid and-"she was rambling again. Sakura decided to end her suffering, once she remembered how to formulate coherent a thought.

"That's great Kushina! I'm sure he'll love it." She forced a big smile on her face. This is what she wanted. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Her hints had worked. Her matchmaking skills were not as horrendous as she had first though. Minato and Kushina would be so happy together and in a few short years Naruto would be born.

This is what she wanted. This was what she worked for. This was what she had prayed for. Sakura smiled at the beaming Uzumaki. The corners of her lips slipped downward on their own discretion. Sakura grabbed her throbbing stomach. If this was what she wanted, then why did she feel as though someone had punched her in the gut?

* * *

He pushed his battered frame past its limits. '_Just a little more,'_ he coaxed his aching muscles to keep him upright and moving for just a little longer. He could make out the gates of the village at the horizon. It was nightfall so the village would be as still as the darkness. He was hoping that would be the case. He really did not want to cause a scene with his appearance. His footsteps were bloody. His path could have been easily followed but that was the furthest from his mind.

His bones protested as pushed through the massive entrance to Konoha. The gate keepers were asleep at their post. Had it been any other day, he would have taught them a lesson that they would not soon forget, but today he was thankful for the less than vigilant night shift shinobi. The moon illuminated the village in an eerie glow. It fit his mood perfectly.

Jiraiya sighed deeply before leaping to a balcony. Her light was on, so she was awake. No doubt thinking about the past again, she needed to learn to let it go. He slipped through the door she kept open. She was a shinobi, she did not have to worry about being robbed or attacked while in the heart of village. She left it unlocked for nights just like this one, for nights that she felt lonely but was too stubborn and proud to ask for company.

A small smile crossed his lips. It was funny how things never quite turn out how people planned them too. She had found a reason to stay in the village. And now that Orochimaru was no longer a threat, maybe he could find a reason to stick around too. He fingered the sake bottle in the folds of his top. If she was thinking about the past, then there was a good chance that she had started without him. He really disliked it when she drank alone. She had a habit of going overboard when he was not around to keep an eye on her.

His eyes widened in surprise as the room he stood in was suddenly illuminated. "Sit down," her voice had too much authority to argue. Besides, he was dead on his feet anyway, he was more than happy to comply. Her steady hands began to ease and dull the pain.

Her chakra could only heal his physical injuries but he was hoping she could help him with the emotional damage as well. "I'm sorry." He furrowed his brow. Her almond eyes bore into his. "You shouldn't have been forced to shoulder that burden alone. I'm sorry that I wasn't there. I should have been there."

Her resolve did not surprise him in the slightest. She always did have a strong sense of right and wrong. Had Orochimaru's friendship with her not clouded her judgment, Tsunade would have pieced the puzzle together much sooner. She would not have left anything of the serpent to use for identification purposes. She would have obliterated him.

It was a good thing that the Hokage had omitted her from the task. He shuddered as he thought about the damage Tsunade was more than capable of. Orochimaru was a criminal but even he did not deserve the wrath of an angry slug princess.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. He let her fix his visible wounds. She had just put his deepest fear to rest. She did not hold it against him. She did not blame him. She did not hate him. She had just released all the tension from his tightly wound muscles.

"Why were you up?"He rolled his head to the side and stared at her with a grave expression. If she was not getting drunk in her sorrows, there was no reason why she was still alert. She had dark rings under her eyes and that informed him that she had not slept in at least two nights. That corresponded with the length of his mission. He would see Sarutobi tomorrow and official give his recount. He did not have the strength to move from his spot.

He stared deeply in to her eyes and she stared unapologizing back. Her face was impassive but he saw the slightest hint of relief in her eyes. The presence of it told him all he needed to know and he was pressing his luck by asking her, but he wanted to hear it. He had waited most of his life to hear her say the words that he longed for.

Tsunade stepped away from him and spared him a haughty smirk. He ignored the disappointment that was building in him. The moment had broken just like that. "The rain was too loud." She shrugged in a dismissive manner. He closed his eyes again. He had smelled the wet pavement and streets of the village. So he had just missed a downpour. "I'm glad you're back, you pervert." His eyes snapped open. He looked at her with his mouth slightly agape.

Tsunade smiled softly at him. She leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. Jiraiya did not dare to move a muscle for fear that she would lash out at him. He sat rooted in his seat as her hand disappeared into the fabric of his shirt. His eyes were trained to hers. She had yet to look away. The electricity in the room was almost visible, audible. His ears strained to pick up anything over the sound of his heartbeat.

He was so lost in her eyes that he did not even register the tugging of his garbs. Tsunade slowly pulled out her hand from inside his pockets and held the sake bottle for him to see. The toad sage blinked a few times in confusion. Recognition of the situation weighed down his stomach.

"What? Are you going to stare at me all night or are you going to join me?" She asked him with the raise of a graceful brow and teasing expression. She shook the ceramic bottle in her hand in a tantalizing manner.

His lips curled into an amused smirk. Sakura may have changed her some, but she was still the same old Tsunade in many ways and he was fine with that. It was times like these that he loved her more than anything.

* * *

Sakura had managed to avoid Minato for over a week now. The rational part of her brain was quick to remind her that she was only able to accomplish such a feat because he was letting her. If he really wanted to find her, he would have found her by now. Her daily routine was painfully predictable. She trained before the sun rose and she worked at the hospital until the sun set. There was very little change, unless she had a mission but those were rare to come by. The Hokage was keeping her close, to keep an eye on her. She had a sneaky suspicion that Minato had something to do with the arrangement.

Rin's training was coming along beautifully, the girl picked up on concepts well but apply them was still her sore spot. But she was improving at a respectable pace. Sakura had already ruled out teaching her Tsunade's taijutsu style. The girl was simply too docile and too big of a pacifist to want to do that much destruction. She did plan on teaching her the art of evasion. Oh, how she looked forward to that lesson. She smirked devilishly to herself.

"He misses you, you know?" Rin began lightly. She looked over her shoulder to meet her shishou's eyes. The woman's lips were pressed in a tight line. Sakura was getting ready to deflect the question again. Rin turned her attention back to the task at hand. She tried to keep the disappointment off her face. She would never give up. Sakura had taught her that much.

"Hmm. Rin push in your elbows in more." That's how it went. Rin would causally bring up the topic of Minato and Sakura would just as casually dismiss it. That had been their routine for the past nine days. It was a dance that both of them did waiting for the other to blink first. Rin may be stubborn but she was a lightweight compared to Sakura. Once the brunette learned to hold a grudge for four years over a silly childhood crush then she could begin to think about holding a candle up to Sakura.

* * *

Sakura did not have enough courage to ask Kushina if she asked Minato out yet. But something told her that the redhead kept getting sidetracked. Sakura had politely declined Masaki's offer for dinner, she was not here to socialize and mingle with the shinobi population. Minato had reminded her that as long as Sakura's heart was beating she would serve her village before anything else. She could not afford any distractions. She had almost died on her last mission. She needed to spend her free time improving. She needed all the extra training she could get.

Besides, she was still recovering from heartbreak and she was not even in a relationship with the man. Minato had left a gaping hole in her chest and it was more painful than a physical one. She could attest to that because she had the privilege of experiencing both in her twenty-one years. She shuddered to think about the devastation she would feel if she was actually with someone. The prospect scared her more than she would like to admit.

Minato was making a name for himself in the war but he was also making many enemies. For every Konoha nin he saved he killed two Iwa or Kumo nin. The Raikage and the Tsuchikage had a large bounty on Minato's head. It was even larger than the one that had been on Naruto's head before the forth war had begun. And that was only after the blonde had killed a handful of Akatsuki.

She feared for Minato's safety but she had faith in him. He was untouchable. He was as intangible as the wind that powered his jutsus. He was everywhere at once. His speed, wit, strength, and quick thinking was unmatched by anyone she had ever met. He was truly a demi-God. His prowess on the battlefield was awe inspiring. She heard many stories about how he fought, changing direction and power just as quickly as the wind. As long as he stayed humble and careful he would be fine.

But that knowledge only curbed the fear a little bit. She was an obsessive person by nature. She worried about the people she cared about on such a level, that she herself could barely function anymore, while they were away. Sometimes it felt that she could only breathe when she knew that he was in the village, safe from all the people that wanted him dead. She heard recounts that made her insides freeze, and that made her heart pound painfully. She was always left breathless and dizzy when she heard the nurses gossiping about his latest 'escapades' –as the Konoha nin called them.

Did they not realize that Minato was human? That he bled and broke just like the rest of them? Or was he just a pseudo-God in their eyes? Was he just some unattainable figure in their minds? Did they truly believe that he was above error and pain? Did they see him as perfection? Did they think that he was incapable of fatigue and human error?

Minato was skin and bone, which meant that he fell just as hard as the rest of them. The only difference was that no enemy would take pity on him. If he was killed, Konoha would never see his body. The missions he was accepting and doing were suicidal but somehow, someway he made it home in one piece. She prayed that would always be the case. Konoha needed its Yellow Flash. And she repeatedly had to tell herself that Kushina needed the Yellow Flash, but her treacherous heart refused to completely believe that.

* * *

"Sakura-san, these are the test results you requested." A blurry faced man placed the files on her desk. Sakura nodded her head in thanks. She looked up at him after she noticed he was still in her office. He was middle-aged and cursed with poor genes. The large bald spot, that the man tried so desperately to hide, gleamed in the lighting of her office.

"Can I help you?" She asked pleasantly but her drumming fingers were an indication that her patience was wearing thin. She had to conduct two emergency operations today. She was running low on everything at this point. She was counting the seconds to when she could just collapse in her warm, welcoming bed. If she was lucky she would get a few hours of sleep before she would have to drag her uncooperative frame to work again.

"Uno, there's a man demanding to see you and he's…," the man trailed off. His big grey eyes looked at her uneasily. He was torn. He did not know who to fear more, Sakura or the pacing man standing outside. They were both equally intimidating in their own right. The medic did not want to be in her office anymore than she wanted him to be there. In the short months that she had been here, she had developed a reputation for herself. Her staff knew not to test her patience. They would lose each and every time.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation, it had been a long and frustrating day and things had suddenly become worse. "Send him in." She snapped. The chunnin hastily bowed to her and ushered the visitor in. She strengthened her shoulders and glared at the records the medic had just delivered. She tried to loosen her clenched jaw. She did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her riled up. The mere knowledge that he was in her office had her whole body shaking slightly.

"Sakura." The voice was cool, calm, collected and everything she was not. She hated him for it. If he was going to act so detached and nonplused than so would she. She had spent a good amount of time convincing herself that what took place nine days ago was just a bad dream, or a really good dream. She was not sure yet.

"Did you need something, Namikaze-san?" Sakura asked sweetly not bothering to look up at him. She was trying to send a clear message. She was not interested, and he was only wasting his time on her. She did not want him accusing her of leading him along. She did not know what was happening between them but she was going to end it before things really got out of hand.

Minato's lips twitched downward at her aloofness. This woman was nothing but mixed signals. On minute she was kissing him like the world was about to end and the next she was giving him the cold shoulder. He found her infuriating, and overwhelmingly fascinating.

"I wanted to ask why you left Team Minato." Sakura repressed the urge to roll her eyes at him. She had left Team Minato weeks ago. She managed to put this confrontation off for three weeks, she had a good run. It was now time to face the music and she would be an adult about it.

"Personal reasons, Namikaze-san. I wouldn't want to bore you with the details. You're a very busy man." She said airily with downcast eyes. She was scribbling something rapidly. He did not miss the way her hand trembled slightly, or how she poked a hole through the paper, due in part to the amount of pressure she was apply on the pen. He intimidated her and that fact did not bring joy to him in slightest way possible.

Minato bit back a scathing retort. He had given Sakura space to sort out her feeling but Minato felt that he had been more than patient with her. And now he wanted answers. "Did you ask for resignation before or after our incident?" He narrowed his eyes at her and reminded himself to remain calm. She brought out the worst in him. She brought out his anger, possessiveness, all his ugly qualities but he kept coming back for more. He _needed _more.

Sakura momentarily winced. _'He's calling it an 'incident' now? Well, that does sound better than affair.' _As far as she was concerned, Minato was a married man and completely off limits. The kisses were a moment of weakness, they would not happen again. She would not let herself slip back into such a low point. There was too much riding on her, now that Kushina finally displayed interest in Minato. There was hope for Naruto and that was all she could ask for. She did not want to ruin things for him now.

He watched closely as she composed herself surprisingly quickly. He was secretly impressed at the amount of professionalism she was displaying. She licked her lips before responding to him. "Before," was all she offered. Minato was annoyed that she still refused to meet his eye.

"Sakura, look at me." Something in his tone compelled her to do just that. Her breath hitched. He was furious but what caught her attention was the fact that he was bleeding on her floor. His arm was hanging limply from his body.

"Sit." Minato sighed deeply and gave into her demand. She would be easier to reason with if he just gave in. He watched in a rather bored manner as she assessed his damage. "You look like hell." Her fingers tentatively prodded the affected area for any shrapnel that might still be lodged in him. Minato rolled his eyes at her. He had just come back from another one of his famed missions. He had gotten careless and as a result he was here. His wound provided him with a perfect excuse to see her and it would force the Hokage to take it easy on him for a few days. It was a win-win.

"Took you long enough to notice, bubblegum." Sakura bristled at the nickname causing Minato to smirk. He missed seeing her riled up. Angry Sakura was far more attractive than depressed Sakura. He had missed her. She was still avoiding his eyes so he took this opportunity to study her.

"How much pain are you in?" She asked him gently. She was in the process on inspecting and rather deep gash on his upper arm. She reached across her desk for a roll of bandages. '_If I heal him completely the Hokage will just send him off again.'_

Sakura was caught in a bout of ethics and personal feelings. She had an obligation to her employer-the Hokage- to keep his shinobi at peak health but she also had an obligation to her sustainers- the Gods, her heart, Kushina- to keep Minato alive. She would not be able to patch him up again if he sustained a heavy injury because of exhaustion or limited mobility from the injury.

She looked at his face. He really did look like hell. For the first time Minato did not look like an untouchable God. He looked ragged, and judging from his stubble he has not been paying grooming much attention. The bags under his eyes were new as was the worn look in his irises. Minato looked human in front of her, and it scared her. _'He needs rest,'_ she made up her mind then and there. The poor Hokage never stood much of a chance.

"Nothing, compared to the pain I felt when a comrade stabbed me in the back." Sakura's hand flattered slightly on his arm. She took in a deep breath and continued to examine the wound. It was ugly, messy gash in his otherwise flawless deltoid muscle. The skin was torn and it was turning a nasty shade of purple. It looked painful.

"I'm sorry. I needed time to think." She began lamely. It was true. She needed time to think about how to best avoid him. Minato's hollow chuckle cut her off from saying more half-truths.

"Yeah and how's that working out for you?" He studied her face. She looked like she had not slept since a week ago. She looked frail and for the first time he noted that she did look too delicate for the mission, the responsibility.

"Fine." She said through tight lips. She had used her chakra to cut through his sleeve and was in the process of cleaning the wound. The mild stinging sensation registered in the back of his mind. He watched her work with flat eyes.

"Is my company really that terrible that you chose to lock yourself in this God awful place willingly?" He joked dryly. The glare she sent him brought a thrill in him. He had missed the fire behind her eyes. He had missed her, plain and simple.

"Hold still, this will string." He looked on as Sakura bandaged his arm a little too tightly. He watched silently as she tore off an end of the wrappings with her canine tooth before she tied a neat knot. She had no idea just how attractive he found that action, or how attractive he found her in general. She looked at her work with a critical eye before she hummed in satisfaction. She patted his arm out of pure habit.

"Orochimaru's dead." Minato watched as Sakura nearly dropped the roll of remaining bandages from her hands. She stared at him shell shocked. She leaned against her desk for support. His eyes never left her face as she struggled to even her breathing.

"Who?" She asked him hesitantly as if she feared his response. Surely it could not have been Minato? He would have sustained more injuries than a cut arm. She instantly began to scan the rest of him with her chakra. Only after she was completely certain that he was indeed unhurt she pulled back her hand. It trembled slightly.

"Jiraiya," his tone was rigid and his clenched fist was turning white."They found evidence of him conducting experiments. You were right." She lowered her eyes from his dark expression. She chewed on her lower lip as the magnitude of the news weighed on her. The words were still sinking in. It was hard to believe that the man responsible for so much of her suffering was dead. His execution had come so quietly, swiftly, and decisively. She was the reason why Jiraiya had to kill his former teammate. She was the reason that the toad sage would have to carry that burden until the day he died.

"I'm sorry." Sakura fidgeted with her hands. She did not like being right, especially when being right meant that people had suffered and died. But she could not just standby and let him continue. She was not capable of pretending that she knew nothing about Orochimaru. She probably would have tried to kill him herself, if she had ever crossed paths with him.

"Stop saying that!" Minato spun out of his seat and grabbed her by the forearms. Her eyes widened with a start. "Stop accepting the role of a bloody martyr so readily. None of this is your fault. Stop blaming yourself." His eyes were so intense she felt her mouth go dry just at the sight of him.

"Sor-, I understand." She quickly corrected herself at his scathing expression. He spared her a disbelieving glance. His hands had moved to her wrists and his touch was making her knees go weak. She felt herself slipping. She focused on the cracks on the wall over his shoulder instead of his stormy gaze. He would be the death of her.

"Namikaze-san if you would please excuse me, I have something urgent I need to attend too." Sakura made to get out of his grip but he held tight. She was about to demand that he let go but the words died down in her throat. She had made the mistake of looking him in the eye. She was trapped in his gaze. Kami, she wanted him. She wanted him so bad but she knew that she could not have him. He was Kushina's not hers_. 'Minato loves Kushina, not me. Minato loves Kushina, not me. Minato loves Kushina, not me.' _Her heart splintered each time she repeated it.

Minato stared at her. His gaze bore into her soul. He recognized the want, the need, the fear in her heart. She was biting her lip without even realizing it. He watched as her teeth slowly worked the soft pink of her mouth. A low growl ripped through his throat before he pressed his lips roughly against hers. Sakura felt her brain go numb with shock. Her limps locked up on her, her heart exploded. Her head was completely blank once thoughts had stopped circulating in an all consuming hurricane. She was not thinking about Orochimaru, Kushina, Jiraiya, or even Naruto. Her brain had simply gone blank, completely and utterly blank. Air, she needed air so badly but she did not want him to stop. She did not want him to ever stop.

She lost count of the number of kisses they exchanged. She did not remember when her hands had tangled themselves in his hair. Or even when his hands had gripped her waist, she did not even remember coming up for air. She did not even remember when he left a trail of bite marks on the skin of her neck, and her jaw. She did not even feel her back being pressed against the wall.

All she felt was his tongue in her mouth and all she heard were the low growls that he was emitting. The pressure on her hips felt so right that it could have been there for her whole life. She did remember how their lips moved in synch and how they seemed to just fit together so naturally and perfectly. Minato held her tightly in his arms and to his satisfaction he felt her pushing back and responding against his mouth.

The pace was staring to become too frantic. He would not be able to control himself if they continued. He did not want to escalate things before she was ready. He did not want to hurt her. The primal part of him was angry at his decision but he chose to ignore it. His iron clad self-discipline had a new chink in it, a new weakness. The pinkette really was trouble for him.

"And most of all, I want you to stop being sorry for this." His voice sent shivers down her spine. It was so passionate, raw, and slightest bit possessive. She felt safe with him, but he was not hers to hold.

"Minato, I can't. Kushina, she-" Sakura began weakly, when she finally came to her senses. His close proximity was clouding her judgment. She was struggling to catch her breath and her speeding heart. Sakura pressed her palm on her forehead. Her head was spinning out of control. She used her other arm to grip his shoulder, she needed to steady herself. Her stomach bunched into a tight knot. What they were doing was wrong. All of it was wrong. It was all at Kushina's expense. The redhead had confided her attraction to Minato in Sakura. And the pinkette had gone behind her back only to betray her.

His arms tightened around her. She was trapped against him and she was disappointed to admit that she really did not mind all that much. She was beginning to hyperventilate the more she thought about what she had just done. Sakura forced herself to take even, deep calming breaths. She lost all self-control when she was with him. It terrified her to her core thinking about just how far she would have gone. She did not know the answer to her self-posed question. She looked at him for a brief second. Being around him would only lead to more heartbreak and devastation. How was she going to get over him if he kept weaseling his way through her strategically placed walls? How could she forget him when he was always around? Why did he have such an effect on her? Why was he after her?

Minato was pleased that she was back to addressing him with familiarity. It was a step in the right direction. His eyes rested on her lips. They were swollen and a bright red, as was the skin of her neck. His male ego smugly noted that he was the cause of it. "Has nothing to do with this." His voice was firm and Sakura found herself unable to argue. He was so sure of himself, so sure of what he wanted and she envied him for that reason. She could never be that decisive when it came to matters like this.

"Minato, I really need to go." She looked at him pleadingly. His fingers traced the tear stains on her face. She was shaking in his arms. _'Minato loves Kushina, not me. Minato loves Kushina, not me. Minato loves Kushina, not me.' _ "I need to go." She repeated quietly in his chest. Minato slacked his hold and she all but ran out of her office with her braid streaking behind her. He watched her go with a sad look in his eyes. She wanted him but she felt that she did not deserve him and he did not know how to make her open her eyes. She was content to remain in denial.

* * *

Sakura bit her lip to keep screaming curses at the world, Minato, the Gods, and most of all herself. She ran up the steps to the Hokage Tower as fast as her unsteady legs could take her. She straightened the black collar of top. She zipped her vest all the way up to her neck. She wanted to be as presentable as possible for the Hokage, but she did not have it in her to heal the bite marks. They were proof that the madness was just not in her head. They were proof that her nightmare was reality. She needed to get out of the village for a while. She needed to clear out her head and sort out her feelings. She needed time to remove him from her system. She needed space to get over him, to forget about him. She needed a plan.

And if she was lucky Kushina and Minato would already be in a relationship by the time she got back. Distance and separation would take the edge off the lust, she assured herself. At least from Minato's end, she knew that she was not lusting after him. What she felt for him ran deeper than lust. She genuinely cared about him but she was convinced that he did not harbor similar feelings about her. For him it was just a physical attraction, she kept reminding herself. She was just the new thing in town. He would grow bored with her soon enough.

That is what happened. People eventually grew tired of her. Only a select handful exhibited the patience required to deal with her overbearing personality and multiple flaws. She was not a easy person to like. And she was an even harder person to love. His time would be better spent elsewhere. Happiness and love were luxuries that were out of her reach.

And even though it was so much more for her, she was doing the right thing by clearing the path for Kushina. Hopefully Kushina would get off her ass and take the first step already. She did not know how much longer she could hold him off. She was only human, after all.

Sakura was still regretting taking the first step, and making the first move. She was convinced that Minato would never have acted so bold is she had not kissed him first. She was a masochist. She knew that he was no good for her and that anything involving him would only lead to more heartache but she kept going back to him.

She roughly brushed back the tears as she ignored the indignant protests of the Hokage's secretary. She hastily threw open the door. It closed with a loud bang behind her. Her heart was beating in her ears and it was also in her throat. She was ruining his life. She was ruining Kushina's life. What kind of person was she? They had been nothing but kind to her. Was this how she repaid them for their kindness? She was a monster. She was the other woman who was destroying Kushina's future, her happiness. The redhead just did not know it yet. Sakura was masquerading as her friend only to betray her in the end.

"Sakura-chan, what can I do for you dear?" The Hokage politely ignored her tear stained face, anguished expression, the exposed love bites marring the skin of her neck and her swollen lips. He had a feeling about where this was heading. The Hokage fought back a sigh. There was no doubt in his mind that Minato was heavily involved with the situation developing in front of him.

"Hokage–sama I'm requesting a solo mission." Sakura looked at the Hokage with all the strength she could muster, which was not much. The request came out meek and hesitant. She sounded so broken to her own ears. Her encounter with Minato had left her vulnerable and doubting everything.

"You're in luck girlie, I happen to have one with me." Sakura felt her heart sink to the floor. The Hokage's lips had not moved once. He was not the one who had spoken. The voice was much lower and had a dangerous edge to it. It was not kind and nurturing like the Hokage's. His tone cut through her. She felt ever muscle in her body coil in dread. Both Sakura and Saratobi turned to look at the figure in the door.

"Danzo-sama." She whispered. Today was just not her day.


	15. Skewed Alliances

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Warning: Contains blood, violence, spoilers, and mild language.**

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Hiya Readers!

Another week has gone by so another chapter has been added to this rapidly growing world that I had created without giving much thought too. I was looking back at some of my older chapters and I realized just how short and rough they were. Hopefully that is something that will not be happening again. My goal is to get better as I go on, so please bear with me.

So Sakura is in trouble but that is hardly new. She has a habit of getting herself in sticky situations. This chapter is more of the same. She tries to be perfect but it always lands her in the most horrible of circumstances.

This chapter is even longer than the last one, and has more action. Sakura is kinda a badass in this one. I really hope I did her character justice. I was really excited to finally give her a fight scene after all the crying she has been doing. A lot of people have stepped on her in the past and now it's finally her turn to have some fun.

Thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited, and followed. You all are continuing to give me the motivation to continue with this project. Your words of support mean the world.

Please read and enjoy. And don't forget to leave a few words about your opinions. Thanks for everything, and until next time!

~L.H.

* * *

**Chapter fifteen: Skewed Alliances**

Fear prickled in her.

A thin bead of sweat trailed down the back of her neck. Every part of her was frozen in place. At the sound of his voice, she was brought back to her first real encounter with him.

* * *

_Flashback: _

_Sakura shifted her weigh on her feet, the movement was long overdue. She was attempting to alleviate the pressure on her heels without making a sudden or loud movement. She had been standing for what had to be hours. There was not a clock in the room so she had no way of confirming her assertion. _

_She craned her neck to the side and closed her eyes as it cracked, satisfyingly. She was careful to catch every word of the conversation between Tsunade and Jiraiya. The two former teammates were talking in subdued voices even with the sound proof seal placed in the room. Her master was a firm believer in the whole 'one cannot be too careful,' philosophy. _

_They were talking about the Akatsuki again, and she was listening intently for any mentions of her former teammate. Jiraiya had just come back from his infamous research gathering campaigns. She shuddered to think about just how he received such valuable insight on the inner mechanics of the organization. His reputation preceded him. _

_The calm in the room was explained by a lack of someone. Naruto was absent from the room. He was training with Asuma to develop used of his chakra nature. Her master was a smart one. She scheduled this meeting with the hermit at the time that the blonde knucklehead would be too preoccupied with getting stronger to interrupt. _

_His one track mind would allow Jiraiya to slip in and out of the village without Naruto interrogating him for information or demanding a spar. Every second that Jiraiya spent with his intricate spy network, was another second that they would be closer to reuniting with the Uchiha. _

_She knew the implications of being allowed to listen in to such an important meeting. It spoke volumes to just how much Tsunade trusted her. "I see, so things look bleak."The rumors on the streets were that the Akatsuki had managed to extract the Two-Tails. They now had two bijuu in their possession that they knew of. _

_She watched as the blonde leaned back in her seat. Her maroon nails drummed against the smooth wood in a rhymic manner, it was the only sound in the room. Sakura bowed her head. Akastsuki was really active at this stage. They had managed to gather more bijuu than anyone was comfortable admitting. They were getting closer to their goal, whatever it may be. But even she knew that it would spell disaster for the rest of them. _

_Her heart stopped at the thought of Itachi finally succeeding in capturing Naruto. She had nightmares that revolved around the fear that she was forced to watch them extract the kyuubi from her teammate. In the reoccurring visions she was always powerless to help him. She was a mere spectator in the horrendous ceremony. Sakura blinked her eyes. _

_If she wanted to help Naruto then she needed to get stronger, but before that happened, she needed to obtain more information on her enemy. She needed to learn as much as she could about Akatsuki. Because the more she knew, the better chances she had to help keep Naruto alive. She looked at the back of Jiraiya's head. The man was an invaluable source of information. He knew about the organization more than anyone, his insight was more precious than her next breath._

_She did know that she would not be able to take on another member, at least, not one-on-one. Sasori had nearly killed her, had it not been for old lady Chyio she would have not lived past fifteen. She needed to find other ways of helping her blonde teammate. _

_One of her strengths was strategizing. She was nowhere near the level of Shikamaru, but her battle IQ was nothing to sneeze at. If she could just something- anything-from Jiraiya that would help Naruto, then she would pursue it until the organization was completely wiped out. _

_The sage nodded his head thoughtfully. It seemed to Sakura that they had forgotten her presence in the room. Tsunade's amber eyes shifted to regard her. She stilled completely against the wall. The cool wood was even felt through her shirt. "Sakura, I trust that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone?" Her clipping tone had the pinkette straightening even further. _

_"Yes, Tsunade-sama." The situation was too grave to address her as shishou. It was a formal meeting, she was asked to sit in not as Tsunade's apprentice but as an outside source. She was allowed to listen in exchange for her complete silence and cooperation. Tsuande was not granting her any leeway if she violated the terms of their verbal agreement. _

_ Sakura looked on with rising discomfort as the sage turned to look at her. His dark gaze took her in. It unnerved her. She knew that Jiraiya had his reservations about allowing her to stay but she could not fault him on them. She was still a kid in his eyes. It was not that he did not trust her but more that he was not comfortable about thrusting so much at her. _

_He knew just how dangerous the organization is, they all knew. The more she learned about them, the more her life was in danger. She already had a substantial bounty on her head for killing Sasori. She did not think that she could be any more of a target. She might as well try to take a few more down with her, if she was going to die anyway. _

_"Good," her shishou's eyes turned to look at Jiraiya. "I think we're done here." The sage nodded, once again, before vanishing in a cloud of white. He needed to stay out of sight for as long as he could. They did not want to risk Naruto finding him. He had his trails to follow before they went completely cold. People only remembered events for a short window of time. He needed to capitalize on the recentness of the discovery. "You may go now, Sakura." _

_Sakura bowed towards the Hokage before hastily making her way out of the office. Her head was spinning with all the new information that had been shared in front of her. She stared at her feet as she took hurried steps._

_She had already known that Akatsuki was gathering bijuu. She had known that for a while now. But what scared her was just how quickly the organization was moving. In a few short months they had doubled the number of bijuu in their possession. Her only silver lining was that they seemed to be collecting them in order. That bought Naruto time. He would be that last one they needed. But how much time did he have? Just how much longer could they keep him safe? _

_His rash personality and endless capacity to care would lead to his demise. Naruto would refuse to go into hiding, willingly, if it ever came to the scenario that he was the last jinchuuriki left. He would put up a fight and demand to defend himself. She knew him too well to hope that he would give into fear. She knew him too well to count on him idly sitting by while others, like him, were being killed. She knew him too well and so did Tsunade. _

_Their desire to protect him would not trump his desire to fight, to fight for himself, his friends, his village, and his dream. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts that she did not see a dark figure before she felt him. She collided squarely with his frame. The collision almost knocked her off her feet._

_"I'm so sorry." She smiled sheepishly and let out a nervous chuckle. "I didn't hurt you did I?" She asked him kindly as she raised her eyes to his face. Her heart lurched at the man before her. He was sneering down at her. His visible eye regarded her with contempt._

_"It takes more than a little girl playing ninja, to take me down." His words were laced with an uncalled for amount of spite. She had just apologized to him, so he had no reason to be so biting in his remarks. Sakura furrowed her brow but controlled herself enough to remain silent. One did not talk back to their elders, and that was definitely the case with Danzo. He outranked her every way. She maybe the Hokage's apprentice but even she could not get away with such an act of disrespect. _

_"Once again, I'm really sorry Danzo-sama." She bowed lowly to him. She held the gesture for at least five seconds. Those five second passed by agonizingly slowly. She wanted to excuse herself from such an uncomfortable situation as fast as possible. She made a motion to move past him but his cane darted out to stop her. It landed in front of her eyes with a loud bang. The wood barely grazed the bridge of her nose. He had purposely made contact in a silent threat. She nearly jumped out of her skin. For an old geezer he moved surprisingly quickly._

_ She was trapped between the walking stick and Danzo. Sakura bit her tongue to keep from saying something witty and sarcastic. It would only serve to create an even bigger mess for her. She had angered him but the rage was not from bumping into her, it was darker and more meaningful. This encounter might not have been as accidental as she first had presumed._

_He had something on his mind, and that was the only explanation to why he was holding her against her will. He was cornering her in both a figurative and literal sense. If she backed down now, she would never be able to look herself in the eye. _

_"Is there anything I can do for you, Danzo-sama?" She turned around slowly and smiled at him pleasantly. Since her tenure under Tsunade her acting skills had vastly improved. Her poker face was almost as good as the blonde's, almost. _

_The deep lines that surrounded his lips folded. He was frowning at her. "You're the Haruno's brat." It was a statement, not a question but she nodded her head anyway. His sudden interest in her confused her. From what she heard of Danzo he showed anyone who was not an Uchiha or clan heir little to any interest. She was the daughter of nobodies, therefore, she was a nobody. She should not have even registered on his radar. Why was he wasting his time on her? Did he not have a secret organization to run? _

_"You're the jinchuuriki's teammate." Again he phrased his words as a statement. Sakura felt her throat suddenly dry. Anything concerning Naruto was a top priority for Danzo and since she was his teammate, he would have taken it upon himself to learn about her. He was a meticulous creature. There was no doubt in her mind, that he had done his research on her. _

_She had sorely misjudged this man. He deserved more credit that she had given him. He was far schemer than she had concluded to be. He was a genius in his own right after all, he had managed to get away with murder and slaughter for years now. No one had even a shred of evidence to link him with all the horrendous crimes that some had accused him of. _

_"Naruto," she said matter-of-factly. Her eyes darkened to emerald in her budding anger. The man looked at her, impassively. But she knew that her little outburst surprised him. "His name is Naruto." She added with firmness. If she was going to get reprimanded by the Hokage then she would earn it. She was never one for doing things only halfway. "He's more than what you make him out to be." _

_Danzo rested his hands of the head of his cane. Her words had angered him. She could tell by the pinched look on his face. He was trying to hide his emotions but the deep frown lines on his face were undeniable. They gave the impression that this man had not smiled in decades and she was sure that was the case. The Second had crushed his dreams of being Hokage, he probably had not smiled since then. That was over a war ago. _

_"You have inherited Tsunade's insolence. I knew no good would come of letting her take on another apprentice. She is poisoning this village." His visible eye narrowed as he glared at her. The look he fixed her with should have scared her more than it did. Her anger was overwhelming her too much to feel fear. Sakura pushed back the dread she felt and looked him in the eye. If he wanted insolence then she would show it to him. _

_Danzo was a bully. He drew strength from other's weaknesses and doubt. She would show him neither. She would give him the two things he hated most: outspoken women and insubordinate behavior. If he did not hate her already, she would make him. His opinion of her did not matter to her in the slightest but his opinion of Naruto did. He could singlehandedly prevent Naruto from being Hokage if he was still alive, that is. _

_"I think she's doing an admirable job given the circumstances she inherited. Konoha's lucky to have someone as qualified and suited as her to call its Hokage. Who else could have helped the village recover from the loss of the Third?" She asked him innocently with a purposely high pitched and disarming tone. Her voice was the epitome of feminism. _

_His eye shown dangerously and for a split second she was worried that he would strike her. She mental braced herself for contact but outwardly she did not even flinch. She was a shinobi. She had been slapped, punched, spat on, and stabbed countless times. She was sure that she would be able to handle a physical blow from a crippled old man. _

_She knew just how badly Danzo wanted to be Hokage. He had lobbied the council to appoint him after the Forth's death. He again had made his interest be known for the title after the Third was safely in the ground. But Tsunade had denied him of that opportunity and for that reason-and many more- he despised her. _

_"It will do you good to remember this, little kunochi, a rosebush may be aesthetically pleasing and smell sweet. But if its branches are snarled and it is littered with thorns the only fix is to cut it down from the roots. Then and only then, will balance and order be maintained in the garden." He smiled demonically at her as he backed away slowly. "You wouldn't want to be cut down before you time, now do you?"He left her rooted in her spot, completely petrified._

_He had just threatened her. Only the threat sounded more like a promise. He had a vendetta against Tsunade so it was only natural that it would extend to her. She was barely sixteen but she had just made her first true enemy. And what was worse, this man knew everything about her. He could have her assassinated at anytime and just like the rest, there would not be anything left to tie him back to it. _

_End of flash back:_

* * *

Danzo walked into the room casually and he completely ignored the tense atmosphere. The sound of his footsteps and his cane felt impossibly loud to Sakura. She was hyper aware of just how close they were. He still scared her to this day but she forced down the bile in her throat. She needed to show strength. He could not hurt her. He had no reason to hurt her.

That encounter was a part of her past, a past that Danzo had no clue about. The Hokage had told her that people were different in this time. Perhaps Danzo was one of them? Maybe she was jumping to conclusions by labeling him as evil? Maybe he had yet to do anything wrong? Maybe things really were different in this time? For her sake and the sake of the Uchiha's, she hoped that was the case. She already had a long list of people she needed to kill and she did not want to add a fellow Konoha shinobi to it.

If Danzo was an ally her life would be easier. But she did not hold her breath. He still made her skill crawl and stomach turn. Her gut had already confirmed her fears. This man was no different from the one she knew. He was just as evil and treacherous- if not more so. The smile he was sparing her made her want to run.

Sakura had a decision to make, and she had made it long before even seeing him again. She would rather face Danzo and his entire root ANBU than be alone with Minato again. She trusted Sakura-the–kuniochi far more than she trusted Sakura-the-woman. Kuniochi Sakura pushed aside hormones and passion and preferred to let her fists do all the feeling. She was confident and sure of herself, but Sakura-the-woman was a completely different story.

Minato had too much of an effect on her. He left her too tongue tied, scattered brained, and weak-kneed. He was killing her slowly and woman-Sakura was more than happy to let him. The less time she could spend being woman-Sakura, would be better for her in the long run. It would be better for everyone.

So she squared her shoulders and calmed her breathing. She turned her head to look at the bandaged man. She would rather face him a thousand times over than face the future Yondiame even once. She had faith that she would find a way to survive him, but she had no such trust in surviving from Minato. The Gods kept her safe and protected from physical injury but that protection did not extend to her emotional pain. She would take her chances with Danzo because even if they were slim, they were still greater than her chances with the Namikaze. It was simple probability, really, and Sakura was always one for statistics and logic.

"There is a small group of mercenaries that have been giving Konoha shinobi trouble in the recent months. It is a simple mission. They are a bunch of thugs. It shouldn't be a problem for a kunoichi of your caliber." The way he said the words gave Sakura the impression that the mission would be nothing but a problem. The mission sounded simple enough but everyone in the room knew that looking underneath the underneath applied in this situation. Any assignment from Danzo was trouble but she could not decline the mission. After all, she had just requested one.

She cursed her inability to make good decisions lately. She subconsciously pulled the fabric of her collar closer to her neck. She could almost feel the wetness from his tongue against her skin, her throat. She repressed the memory and a shiver. A mission from Danzo was defiantly safer. She silently took the scroll from his extended hand and stared blankly at it.

"If you are in fact a loyal Konoha kunoichi," he practically spat out the word. His contempt for the title was not missed or overlooked. "Then this mission should be an honor for you to complete." Sakura nodded at him distractedly. She forced herself to look into his beady eye. She recognized the smugness in it. He had her cornered and he knew that fact well. He was marching her to her death and she would go without protest, without even batting an eye. In fact, she was taking it graciously.

"I humbly accept the mission Danzo-sama. It would be my honor to complete it on behalf of Konoha." Her response was robotic and textbook but it seemed to please the old man. The scroll felt too heavy to be a simple mission scroll. It was barely noticeable but she had, in the past, handed out many official scrolls to shinobi on behalf of Tsunade. The half dozen grams of added weight were easily discernible for her. He probably layered the scroll with some form of a tracking device. He was covering all his bases. If she tried to destroy the scroll, or even removed the device it would probably notify him at once. It would not surprise her if there was some sort of reverse summoning seal that was invisible to the naked eye.

_'He knows,'_ she stared blankly at the spot of the Hokage's head. Her eye fixated to the place where the Yondiame's head would go on the Hokage Monument. It was all his fault, Sakura bit her lip. She could not blame the man for her own weakness and lack of self-control. She was the one in the wrong, so she was the one who had to accept a mission from a man that wanted her very dead.

The Sandime watched the exchange with pursed lips but said nothing. He could not show favoritism and advise Sakura not to take the mission. Danzo was a decorated war veteran and esteemed member of the council. The man had been his teammate. He was well regarded by the public. He had never given Konoha any reason not to trust him, regardless if there was evidence or not.

The Hokage could not undermine his authority without raising suspicion and protest. "Very well, since my objective has been completed, I'll take my leave. You leave tonight girl. The sooner those roaches are out of our hair the better." Danzo left the two shinobi without a backwards glance. The noise of his footfalls and the scrapping of his cane against the floor was the only sound in the room.

Sakura barely heard them over the beating of her own heart. She must have stared at the scroll for a few minutes. The Hokage cleared his throat, lightly. She was snapped out of her statuesque poise. Sakura ignored the tightening of her stomach and turned to her Hokage. "I guess I should head out too, Hokage-sama." She slipped the scroll into her pouch. She would open it once she was out of Konoha, just in case there was an ambush waiting for her on the other side. The Hokage merely nodded at her statement.

"Come back alive, Sakura-chan." He called out through the smoke of his pipe.

Sakura looked over her shoulder and gave him her most reassuring smile. She even threw in a mock salute. "I always do, Hokage-sama."

* * *

She was in a dilemma.

She wandered the streets of Konaha aimlessly. Her feet were just taking her in circles. Sakura needed to tell Rin that she would not be able to train her tomorrow because of her mission but she had no idea where the girl lived. She made a mental note to ask her about it later. Normally, Sakura would have just left a note on her door telling Rin about the circumstances. But she felt that she owed it to her apprentice to tell her in person.

Yet it seemed less and less like a possibility. She had already wasted twenty minutes searching for any signs of the brunette. Her expression brightened at the sight of a very familiar figure. As it turns out luck was on her side and she found the next best thing, Obito.

"Obito!" Sakura ran to catch up to the boy ahead of her. She had recognized his unique stride. He stood out like a sore thumb from the group of civilians milling about. His assured, long, easy strides spoke to his profession.

"Sakura-sensei!" The boy looked at her with bewilderment. It gave her the impression that he was startled to see her. The way he was gawking at her made Sakura feel slightly guilty. It had been a while since she had last spoke to him.

"How've you been? Kakashi still giving you trouble?" She smiled kindly at the boy. She had missed him. And that fact was further reinforced by this meeting. It took seeing him again to make her realize just how large of an effect he had on her.

"I'm fine, Kakashi is fine as well. Sakura-sensei, can I ask you something?" The boy began to stare at his feet. He looked uneasy and unsure of himself. He was not acting like his usual boisterous self. His reaction had caught Sakura off guard. His demeanor instantly had her worried. '_Was something wrong?' _

"Sure Obito. You can ask me anything." She put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder which caused him to stiffen. He shrugged off her contact. That set more alarm bells off in her head. She eyed him worriedly. He was still glaring at the ground and kicking his foot into the dirt.

"Did you leave Team Minato because I was too weak? Did you leave because I couldn't protect you? Because it that was the reason, I've gotten stronger Sakura-sensei. I'll protect you with my life. Please come back!" He raised his hurt face to look at her. Sakura watched in stunned silence as the boy struggled to regain control of his emotions. His eyes shone with unshed tears and his fists were clenched at his sides. He was shaking but he was not the only one. Sakura felt her throat catch and tears prickle in her eyes.

Sakura felt horrible. Guilt settled into her features. She had made an impression with Minato's students. Even though her tenure on the team was short, they had developed a bond. A bond that she had not given any thought when she made her request to resign. Her actions had consequences. Obito had been carrying around a huge guilt. The boy blamed himself for Sakura leaving. His guilt had kept him away from visiting her while she was at the hospital. Sakura hastily wrapped the boy in a tight embrace and let him sniffle into her shoulder.

"Oh, Oboito-kun you did nothing wrong. Sweetie, it's my job to protect you not the other way around. I left because the hospital needed my attention and I am needed more in Konoha. Trust me, you could do nothing wrong enough to make me leave." She rubbed soothing circles on the boy's back and tried desperately to stop his tears. "Obi-kun if only you knew how proud I am of you." She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the top of his head. They gently swayed with the flow of the wind.

"Really?" He asked in a painfully hopeful voice. She felt her heartbreak all over again. A lone tear trailed down her cheek. The medic cleared the lump in her throat. This boy was truly something else. It was no wonder that Kakashi had adopted so many of his mannerisms. Obito was so pure of heart, that there were only a handful of people like him. Naruto was the only other one that she had met in her lifetime.

"Really." She assured him quickly. "Besides Obito, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you." She felt the chunnin go still in her arms. He tired to look her in the eye. She let him go. The familiarity of the situation was not missed on her. Why was she always hurting the people that care so much about her?

"Why would you apologize, you did nothing wrong?!" He protested loudly. His previous sadness was completely forgotten and for that Sakura was grateful. This was the Obito that she remembered. This was the Obito that Kakashi had lost.

"I should apologize because I didn't communicate with my comrades how I should have. I should have told you the reasons why I left. Can you forgive me, Obito?" She looked at him with remorseful eyes. His heart was in the right place, and she felt that she had let him down. She was disappointed in herself for being so selfish. When would she learn that she was no longer alone? When would she remember that people cared about her?

"Of course I forgive you Sakura-sensei. I'll always forgive you!" Sakura chuckled at his kind personality. He was so compassionate. He was so different from the man that threatened to destroy her world. This Obito still had his heart, his love, and his ambition. This Obito still had his life.

"Obito I don't want you blaming yourself for other people's decisions ever again, okay?" She asked him sternly. She watched as the boy's face fell. "And you of all people should know that you're my favorite." She could not help herself. This boy was the second coming of Naruto. He wore his heart on his sleeve. His mannerisms left her feeling nostalgic. His face brightened immediately at her words.

"You mean it, Sakura-sensei?" He asked her with optimism. He was an Uchiha. His clan did not value words of kind encouragement or displays of affection and that had left the boy starved for human interaction. He was desperate for any form of praise. He strived to please the people he cared about. He truly was more like Naruto than she would have guessed.

"With all my heart," she pinched his cheek affectionately. "Obito, I need you to do something for me. Think you can handle it?" She asked the boy with mock seriousness. He nodded his head enthusiastically. "I need you to tell Rin-chan that I'll be leaving for a special mission soon so we won't be able to continue our training until I get back." Obito's smiled faltered.

"You'll be careful, won't you Sakura-sensei?" His adolescent face was completely serious. He held onto her hand. She did not have the heart to tell him that she was losing feeling in her fingers from his tight grip. She ruffled his hair with her free hand. She gave him the same smile she had given the Hokage earlier.

"I will," she promised. "I need to get going. Obito remember what I said. Oh, and Obito?" She added almost as an afterthought.

"Yes sensei?" His eyes gleamed with curiosity. She had his complete undivided attention, which was something that she could not claim often. For once, he was only focused on her. He took her words as seriously as Naruto had.

"Don't give up on her just yet. She'll come around." She did not know if she was coming back. She wanted to give him encouragement before it was too late. Sakura hoped that Rin was not doomed to repeat her mistakes. The pink haired medic hoped that Rin would come to appreciate Obito far sooner than she had come to appreciate Naruto. She did not wish the heartbreak she caused her teammate on anyone. She patted him on the head before she turned down the street. She had left him with his mouth agape and eyes wide. She hoped that he would never give up on her. She was a good kid. She would be good for him.

She was almost out of ear shot before she heard him yell "I'll never give up on her, sensei. Believe me, I'll never give up!" Sakura found herself smiling despite everything. That boy defiantly was a lot like Naruto. So much so that it both broke her heart and filled her with hope.

* * *

"I'm home." She called off softly as she stepped into her apartment. To her surprise no one answered her back. She was not crushed by a loud redhead. She glanced at the clock in the hallway. It was only six. Kushina should undoubtedly still be awake.

"Kushina?" She called out her friend's name louder this time.

"Sakura-chan, you're home early!" Her voice called down the stairs. Sakura gripped her banister and started to make the trek up the steps. She needed to take a shower before she left for her mission. Who knew when she would have access to hot water again?

"I have a mission that I'm leaving for in a bit." Sakura paused midstep. There was something unreadable in Kushina's expression. The way her almost-violet eyes were narrowed caused her throat to close up. Surely, Kushina had not seen her with Minato? She felt panic shoot through her. She had to rely on all her shinobi training to keep the guilt from her features. She met Kushina's eyes without any hesitation. She felt dirty and despicable but it had to be done. She could not risk the redhead giving up on the blonde, especially not after she just recently started to display interest in him.

"Everything okay?" She asked breezily. Her nonplussed tone surprised even her. She was becoming quite a competent liar. Sakura did not know how to feel about that fact. On one hand it would do wonders for her career, but it had potential to harm everything else.

"Everything's fine. I'm just worried about you. Are you going with Minato's team?" She asked once the pinkette had joined her at the top of the stairs. The two women continued to stare at each other with conflicting expression. One displayed wariness while the other was trying too hard to appear normal.

"No it's a solo mission. A simple B-rank and it's just something for me to do and nothing that you should be worried about." She hoped she came across more reassuring than she felt. The rank of the mission was completely arbitrary. It promised to be the hardest mission of her life, there was a very good chance that she would not come back alive.

Kushina's lip quirked her expression changed instantly. She was no longer scrutinizing her, judging her. "Well it is you that we are talking about. Whenever you come back from 'simple' mission you always land yourself in the hospital. Honestly, I don't know how that place even functions especially when their head medic is always hurt."

Sakura snorted before she flipped her braid behind her shoulders haughtily. She could not keep the relief from her eyes. Kushina was treating her normally again. "For your information, I am not always hurt. That was just one time and I thought we agreed not to mention it again?"

"If you say so Sakura-chan, just know that I care about you and I worry. Please be careful." Kushina's eyes held such honest compassion that Sakura felt unworthy. Ino had worn the same expression many times. She had true friends that she could count on. But could they realistically count on her? All her old friends were dead. Her track record was nothing to advertise.

'_Kushina I don't deserve your friendship. Your heart's too pure to waste on me.' _ But Sakura did not voice her thoughts. She did not even protest when Kushina pulled her into a hug. All she did was mutter a soft "I will" into the woman's hair.

* * *

Sakura read her mission scroll for the tenth time that day. It was pointless, the scroll was bogus. This whole mission was bogus. Danzo had managed to figure out the truth about her. He knew who she was and he knew what she was supposed to do. He saw her as a threat and like any good shinobi would tell you, a threat must be eliminated at the earliest convince. Sakura had all but offered her head on a silver platter by requesting a Hokage could only protect her if she was within the village walls.

But Sakura needed to, no had to, leave the village. She had lost complete control of herself when it came to Minato. The blonde wielded too much power over her. She needed to get away before she did something that she could come to truly regret. There was still a chance for Naruto to be born. And that was all he needed. Naruto made his name on beating the odds and if she could give him a chance- even a glimmer of hope- he would somehow, someway come through. She wholeheartedly believed that.

* * *

So far her mission had been uneventful. She had been traveling for two days and she was expected to run into the mercenaries sometime later tonight. And if Danzo wanted her death to seem legitimate he would have to wait until she got closer to the enemy's strong hold. She had used to two days to store as much chakra as possible and get sleep. She could not realistically expect uninterrupted rest, especially when she was alone in the wilderness. But she had woken surprisingly rejuvenated and almost cheery.

She was finally on a mission. She had grown bored with the same four walls that she used to stare at every day. She had found herself thankful for the mission, even though it was less a mission and more an execution order. He was letting her enjoy her last few days before he could kill her without bringing up unneeded questions. The bastard had thought of everything. So she was safe for another couple of hours at least. She picked a spot to rest. They were coming and she wanted to be ready to greet them. She was less tired and stressed than what was expected.

She kept replaying the fact that Orochimaru was dead in her head. She felt no remorse, sympathy, or pity at his passing. Granted the man had saved her mentor but the snake had turned against the alliance the second it fancied him. He had driven the blade through Tsunade's heart. The betrayed look on her lifeless face still haunted Sakura's dreams. The man had spent the better part of four years regaining her trust only to betray her in the end. She was glad the bastard was dead. At least the damage he had done this time around was much less.

* * *

Sakura narrowly managed to avoid a kunai that would have embedded itself in her head. She narrowed her emerald eyes at her two attackers. "Danzo's dogs. You're early." She set her face in a hard line as she slide into a defensive stance. There were only two of them. She did not know to feel slighted or relived. But she knew that numbers meant next to nothing. Minato could easily mow down an arm single handedly. She might only have two opponents but that could end up being overkill. If luck was on her side, typically it never was, then they would be two goons.

"Haruno Sakura, you are a threat to Konoha's interests. You must die." The taller man with a beaver mask said in a monotonous tone. Sakura shrugged off her pack and tightened her gloves. She relished the opportunity to relieve some pent up emotion. She had two people that just volunteered to be her punching bags. What more can a girl ask for? They were begging her to rearrange their porcelain masks.

"Am I a threat to Konoha's interests or the interest of your precious Danzo-sama?" Her tone was mocking and light but her eyes were wild with rage. She had some things that she was still working through. A little combat and action would help relieve the stress in her. It would be therapeutic for all the pain she was subjecting herself through lately.

"They are one in the same." His partner said in a deeper voice. It sounded gravely. No doubt that he was a heavy smoker. His marmot mask was particularly disgusting. '_Rodents, how fitting.' _Sakura thought humorlessly. They hid at the first sight of trouble, bide their time, increased their numbers, and drove the enemy insane.

"I am a shinobi of Konoha. I am loyal to my Hokage but you probably still want to kill me, right?" She knew that reasoning with these people was futile. Danzo had completely stripped these men from the ability to think for themselves. He had truly created the ultimate killing machines. They were his to use on a whim, and only his. "Die," was all she heard before they charged at her.

* * *

Sakura panted heavily. She had been evading their attacks for over twenty minutes now. She had essentially figured out their tells but finishing the fight would be far from easy. Sakura lightened the blow of a kick with her chakra but she still felt slightly winded. She cursed before ducking to avoid getting decapitated. The beaver struck her in the hip with a brutal amount of force. She had to use her hands to keep from completely falling to the ground. She kicked up dirt to slow him down. She spun rapidly and managed to catch the beaver squarely in the jaw.

Her satisfaction was short lived, the man vanished and a stump replaced him. She was not making any progress. The second she had one against their back the other covered for him seamlessly. They moved without verbally communicating but they covered for each other flawlessly. They must have spent countless hours coordinating their movements. They moved with such fluidly and ease that it was something to truly appreciate and admire. She realized with a smug smile that Danzo had sent two of his best. So she should feel honored, just like he had said. He was not pulling any punches, so she might as well extend him the same respect.

She cocked her fist back before slamming it into the ground. The earth from beneath them began to rumble and shake before splitting wide open. It was a relief to finally use her strength again. She no longer had to hide who she was, who she had become. There were no handicaps here. She was free to destroy as much as she wanted and she did not have to fear the consequences. She could be herself and she never again would she take that for granted. She was finally Haruno Sakura again. She had missed being able to call herself that.

Beaver had managed to dodge her attack but the marmot was a tad too slow. "Daton: Earth Spear Jutsu!" She yelled over the sound of the crumbling earth. It was music to her deprived ears. She had yearned for the familiar sounds. The root member only had seconds to regain his bearings before Sakura's brown arm slammed into his skull. It had hardened to the consistency of diamonds and coupled with her already formidable destructive power the man did not have a prayer. He crumpled like a dropped rag doll.

"Looks like it just you and me, root rat." She snarled at beaver lunging for him. Her muscle felt tight but she pushed through the discomfort. If she tore something, she could always heal it afterwards. She knew that her opponent would not hesitate to kill her so she could not afford to second guess herself. She needed to be quick and decisive, if she wanted to live past today. Her offense was halted when the man began to rapidly form seals.

"Katon: Running Fire." Sakura found herself surrounded by a ring of flame. The scarlet danced across her orbs. The heat made it feel as if her skin was melting off. Sweat pooled down at her feet. '_Damn it's too high to jump over and the ring is getting smaller!' _Her eyes frantically scanned her surroundings. The fire was inching closer to her. She had a morbid fascination with the flames. She just wanted to stare into them, they looked so inviting. She resisted the temptation of reaching out and caressing the licks of fire. They were calling her name in a sweet, alluring song.

"It's over kunoichi. Katon: Fire stream!" Beaver brought his hands to his mask and a flame erupted towards her. His voice snapped her from the spell of the inferno. Sakura managed to side step the jet only to have her shoulder burned by the ring. "Futon: Divine Wind" Sakura let out a pained scream as the fire became a massive inferno around her. She was completely trapped in a vortex of fire. The tornado of flame bit at her skin charring it black. She starred horrified as the smell of cooking flesh, her flesh, filled the air. The smoke was making her eyes water. She coughed loudly to clear the ash from her lungs.

Sakura covered her mouth and nose in an effort to filter the air she was breathing. She needed to act quickly or there would be nothing left of her to identify. "Doton: Earth Spear!" Sakura was able to form the seals despite her pain. Her whole body turned a dark brown and hardened. The flames no longer bothered her. She was safe from the hot tendrils of the flares. The earth around her protected her. It shielded her from a horrible fate.

"Clever little kunoichi, you are using the justu as a way to defend yourself from my attack." Sakura could hear the smirk on his face. "Marmot was weak but you will not beat me." He sounded so hollow, so rehearsed, and so fake. Danzo had truly outdone himself with this one. She thought that Sai had been bad but this man was least Sai had tried to seem engaged. This man was simply sleepwalking through life. He was merely going through the motions. How could that be called living?

"We'll see about that." Sakura lunged at him at full speed. But her earth spear slowed her pace down significantly so she was forced to release the jutsu, if she had any hopes of landing an attack. She had left herself completely defenseless to any more of his fire jutsu. Sakura managed to roll out from a barrage of kunai. _'He missed?'_ She studied the man in front of her through narrowed eyes. She did not trust that his aim was actually so horrendous. He had thrown over a hundred kunai and not a single one had landed.

'_What are you playing at?" _ She quickly served the scene and her eyes widened. He had her completely surrounded by cords. The sound of them slicing through the air rang intimidating in the area. She hastily began making hand seals. "It's too late bitch. Katon: Dragon Fire Technique." There was a hint of real malice in his words. She was making progress. She was getting through his mask, his façade.

Sakura felt the heat of the flames before she saw them. An agonizing scream ripped through her throat. She was burning. She inhaled the scent of her own burning flesh as she screamed, again. Tears prickled at her eyes. She was going to die. She was completely surrounded by flames. They were on her clothes, her skin, and her bones. The pain was too powerful to overcome. Every jutsu that was in her arsenal completely abounded her. She was going to die.

* * *

The root with the beaver mask watched as the charred corpse of the kunoichi collapsed in front of him. He smirked as he nudged it with his foot. Danzo-sama would be pleased when he returned with her remains. Marmot was dead but he was an acceptable casualty. They were Danzo-sama's tools and the man had fulfilled his purpose. The only thing recognizable in the heap in front of him was her partially burnt braid. Her once lustrous pink locks were duller, darker.

Her body was beyond recognition. What was not burnt to the bone was covered in soot and ash. She resembled burnt logs more than a human. He stood over the remains feeling something akin to satisfaction. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off. He was coming down from the high. He was slipping back into apathy. Soon he would feel nothing when he looked at her defeated corpse.

The kunoichi had put up an admirable fight. She had managed to almost land blows on him. This was the first time in years that he had to resort to using this jutsu. She should be honored that he even used it on her. With a wicked grin he bent down to begin the sealing process. He touched what had once been her face and froze.

Something did not feel right. Her bones were too soft, and malleable to be human. It was as if the corpse in front of him was not made out of bone. He scrapped his fingers against the base of her skull. He rubbed the substance. It fell off his fingers, it did not stick to him the way burnt bone residue should have. He was utterly bewildered.

Rain began to pelt him in sheets. It soaked him to the bone in mere minutes. The heat from his fire jutsus had a sudden accumulation of high pressure and eventually rain. The droplets extinguished the embers from his still burning jutsu. He watched as the water overwhelmed the fire. Creation had defeated destruction. Life had beat out death. He tilted his chin upward. She had survived, so he must die. Beaver did not hear her coming nor did he sense her.

"Suiton: Water Dragon Whip." He felt his body being ripped to shreds with each impact of the whips. The water stung his skin worse than fire ever could. The water completely tore him apart. His legs no longer could support him. He looked up at her with half dead eyes. He had lost the battle the moment he had used his Dragon Fire jutsu.

"How?" Blood dribbled down his chin. His mask had been broken long during her attack. The blood from his mouth dripped into his blue goatee. His yellow eyes stared at her with what had to be admiration and wonder. The ground had mercifully caught him as he fell.

"I knew what Danzo was planning so I was able to make multiple earth clones before you two arrived to ambush me." She explained to him without emotion. Her eyes were dead. They were perfection. She was almost as ruthless as him, almost.

"I saw you burn." He furrowed his brow as he tried to make sense of why he lost. He had followed protocol to the letter. He had extensively relied on the scouting report Danzo had given him. He had done everything right. So why was he dying, while she continued to live? Where had he gone wrong?

"Danzo did not do his research thoroughly enough. He probably figured that I was Tsunade's student from my seal. So he came to the logical conclusion that my fighting style would mimic hers. But he made an oversight. I'm naturally a genjutsu type. So while you thought it was me who was burning it was really a clone. The genjustu just made it believable." Her voice had a hint of regret. She was not as apathetic as he first judged her to be. She was struggling with ending it. Her humanity was getting in the way.

She had not even lifted a finger and yet she had killed them both. His master had grossly underestimated her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was a woman. His master had a firm belief that only males had the right to call themselves shinobi and ninja. In his opinion, women were doing nothing more than playing house in a man's world. They had no place in the shinobi ranks.

But as he looked at her eyes, her face, her demeanor Beaver thought for the first time that his Master's belief might be misplaced. She was every bit as strong as him. She had outsmarted him, outmatched him, and outfought him. She did not fight like a woman. Her attacks were not weak and dainty. She was not graceful. Her movements lacked poise, beauty, and femininity.

She had fought like a man. He coughed wetly. She fought like a shinobi. She was lethal, efficient, and decisive. She was every bit the shinobi he was, maybe even more. After all, she was about to kill him. But she was going to do it in a humane manner. She would not make him suffer. He could see that much from her eyes. She was going to be merciful even when he had not extended the same courtesy to her.

She fought like a shinobi but she felt like a civilian. She was a human before she was an executioner. She was a kind, caring, considerate human being. Even someone like him could gather that.

"Finish me off." He closed his eyes. He had already accepted his defeat. Sakura sent a small pulse or chakra towards him. The icy blue tendril slithered towards him with great speed. He did not even have a chance to exhale before the thin thread of chakra sparked. Forever stopping his heart, he did not even feel a thing.

* * *

Sakura grimaced as she pulled herself up to her full height. The battle had taken its toll on her. She had expended more chakra than she would have liked when actually battling Marmot. She had delivered the killing blows in person. It would have been disrespectful to let the clones take the life of another. The elaborate genjutsu she had weaved had taken a substantial amount.

She reached into her pouch and pulled a ration pill. The bitterness made her want to gag but she forced it down. Her reserves were growing at a surprisingly rapid rate. Even if she was close to drained, all she needed now was a good night's sleep and she would be close to a hundred percent in the morning. She did not know what brought upon this sudden change, but she had a feeling it had something to do with the seals on her forehead. It was a good thing that she would replenish her coils soon.

She would need her strength to disassemble the bandit group. There was some truth to the mission that Danzo had sent her on. He needed her death to be believable. He had planned everything out, but he had overlooked her winning streak. She had bested death three times now. She did not know how much longer her streak would continue. All that mattered was the fact that she was still alive and she had a mini-vacation from Minato. She felt pity for the men she killed today. They were merely following orders. In their minds they were benefiting the village. They were loyal to their leader just like she was loyal to hers. She could not fault them. Sakura pushed her hands together over her thigh and began to knit the skin together again. A moment she had shared with Danzo's ex-righthand man consumed her.

* * *

_Flashback: _

_"There," Sakura patted the former ANBU's arm. "All set," she smiled warmly at the withdrawn man. Sai did not even bother to return her gesture. He did not even make any indication that he had heard her. The far off look in his eye was reminiscent to the expression he used to wear around them. "Is everything okay, Sai?" She asked her teammate slowly. She did not want to startle him. _

_His dark eyes flickered up to meet hers. "Everything's changed, Sasuke-kun is back." His voice was perfectly monotonous and even. Sakura felt herself reflexively stiffening. She had known that this conversation would come. She was just disappointed that it came so soon. _

_Sakura absentmindedly pushed aside the leftover medical supplies that littered the small table at her elbow. The half used tubes, bandages, and gaze sounded nosily. "Nothing's changed, Sai." She looked up from her work to fix the silent man with a measured look. Her green eyes darkened the moment she recognized the hesitation in them. _

_He did not believe her. And who could blame him? From a young age he had been isolated from his family and trained to worship only one man. Sai was raised to trust Danzo and only Danzo. The man had made progress but there were still moments when the old Sai peaked through. He lowered his eyes, almost sadly._

_ "When the three of you stood together on the battlefield, I realized that I could never have what you all do. Your bonds with Sasuke and Naruto run deeper than mine. The three of you were the original Team Seven, the only Team Seven that matters. I was but a mere place holder and I have overstayed my welcome." She detected the hurt in his voice. It was well concealed but she had known the Ex-ANBU for over two years now, she had learned to pick up on his subtle traits. _

_He continued on before she could interject. "Danzo, he was my whole life before I meet you two. In the past, his dream was my dream. His orders were my nindo. I was so dependent on him, Ugly, that I was incapable of having a completely organic thought. He feed me lies and those lies were my truth. His words were how I lived my life. But joining Team Seven opened my eyes. I realized that having emotions and attachments to others didn't make people weak. They had the opposite effect on Naruto and even you." _

_He offered her a fake smile but the despair in his eyes was very real. "For the first time in my life I felt that I had control. That I could be what I wanted to be, and that I could have my own thoughts. Your friendship gave me strength that had eluded me my whole life. But now without you two, I don't know what I'll do. But I am certain of this, both of you saved me. You helped me feel again." _

_Her heart ached for the dejected seventeen year old. She understood his grief well. She too had often been on the outside looking in when it came to Naruto and Sasuke. "Nothing's changed Sai." She repeated again, gently. She smiled reassuringly at the stunned man before her. "We were Team Seven with Sasuke and we were Team Seven without him. We're still teammates and it's important that your realize that your never were a replacement. You became one of us, Sai. You are your own person and we appreciate you for it." She grinned widely at his taken aback face. He was so surprised that his carefully constructed mask had fallen out of place. She was seeing the real Sai, the real man behind the stoic façade._

_"This isn't Root anymore, Sai. You are always going on about how we've changed you and helped you. But you've changed us too. You made us better people Sai. Friendship works both ways. You took our worst and made us better human beings for it. This isn't Root, you are not being replaced. You don't have to worry about overstaying your welcome because we care about you. And these bonds that you speak of," she paused to take in his agape mouth and wide eyes. "They last a lifetime, if not longer." _

_A pregnant pause filled the small medical tent. The two individuals seemed content to just stare at each other. Sakura felt her heart steady its beating, at the slow smile that stretched across his lips. "Naruto's has rubbed off on you, Ugly." She was feeling too faltered to yell at him. _

_"He does have that effect." She laughed easily as she helped the man up. She led him by his good arm to the opening of the canvas. "Now I don't want you out of bed for a couple of days. Are we clear?" She asked him in her most intimating voice. Sai was usually good with following her orders, seeing that he lacked the kyuubi's regenerative properties. He felt her beatings for a lot longer than Naruto did. So the message resonated well with him. _

_Sai nodded his head in confirmation. The smile had yet to leave his face. Sakura brought her hands to her hips and glared. "What?" She snapped out, impatiently at him. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head. And she did not like it._

_"It suits you," he eyes curved upwards as his smile grew in size. His face was stretched in such an extreme fashion that Sakura's concluded it could not be very comfortable. _

_"What?" She repeated again but this time curiosity colored her words. Sai was being conversational and when that happened, things tended to end badly-for him. _

_"Worrying about us, I read somewhere that when a female is overprotective of her teammates that she is assuming the role of the mother. You make a good mom for us, Ugly." He grinned toothily at her. His eyes were closed so he did not see the punch to the gut coming. He felt every bit of it though. It rattled every bone in his body, both broken and unbroken. _

_"Damn it Sai, we almost had a moment and you just had to ruin it. Didn't you?" She grabbed him roughly by the collar and dragged him back into the tent. She had to heal his newly fractured ribs. _

_Sai noted in silence that Sakura was very much suited for the role as Team Seven's make shift mother. She already had the incessant worrying and unwavering faith in them down. He would never take back what he said. He meant every word. They were all orphans but at least they now had Sakura to fuss over them. _

_End of flashback_

* * *

Sai had been just like them when she had first met him. She was remorseful that she had to kill two others that shared the same fate the black haired teen had. The deep gash in her thigh closed before her eyes. Her head snapped sharply to the left at the sound of clapping. It vibrated off the ring of trees. She felt her blood go cold.

_'This can't be happening.' _But it was and no amount of blinking and wistful thinking would change that fact. Her back straightened against the bark of the tree. Every muscle in her body was tightly coiled, ready for action. She would need to be highly alert and quick on her feet if she had any hopes of surviving.

"That was quite impressive girl. You took down two of my best. No matter, they will be easily replaced. You will not defeat me. I am a different beast all together." Danzo looked at her with utter contempt. He took a casual step towards her.

Sakura's heart stammered in her ears loudly. This was what she had signed up for. She was finally getting exactly what she wanted_ 'ah, hell.'_

* * *

Your thoughts? :)_  
_

~L.H.


	16. Impasse

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Warning: Contains spoilers, violence, blood, and gore.

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Dear Readers,

Thank you for all your comments about last chapter. It was nice to see that you liked it.

This story is about half-way done now. I always planned on it being around 30-34 chapters long. We'll see how that turns out.

I know that most of you probably want to get right back in the action, so I will not take up any more of your time. Please enjoy and don't forget to review. It

means the world. Until next time!

~L.H.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Impasse

She visibly grimaced.

Sakura bit back a string of dark curses. She rolled her eyes heavenward and glared with malice. The God's were certainly making things difficult on her, she was supposed to save them all but they went out of their way make her task even more impossible. Her odds of defeating Danzo had just been slashed. Besting him in her current state would have been hard enough but now she was contending against the unknown. Things would not end well for her, the longer this was drawn out.

She knew nothing of his fighting style. She did not even know what chakra nature the man possessed. Her knowledge of him was grossly limited. She was angry with herself for not researching the man further but in her defense, war had broken out so swiftly that she had been unable to give the notion much thought. There was no benefit in obsessing over what she did not know. Her time would be better spent on what she did know.

She was certain of a few things. She still had the chakra stored in her Yin Seal but that was an insurance policy. If she would be forced to use the less tahn supple amount, which she had been storing for the last few months, she would be in a desperate state. She did not have enough to sustain any of her high level jutsus. Is she was forced to use the seal's chakra than she better be on the cusp of defeating him.

"When will Sarutobi learn to not be so trusting? If he isn't more careful just about anyone can overhear his confidential conversations." She ignored his taunting in favor of watching him closely. His disposition was completely relaxed and calm. She envied the silent confidence he was emitting. He did not look worried_. _

_'Why should he, he has all the answers.'_ She ignored the bitter voice in her head. Danzo knew everything about her but she knew little about him. The only people that had witnessed the final battled between Sasuke and Danzo were either not born yet, or no longer a viable source. She was facing the unknown and that scared her more than anything.

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. The unpleasant taste of it was calming her frantic thoughts. Fighting in a blind range was the fastest way to ensure her defeat. Danzo had at least two decades of experience over her. Another handicap was that Danzo had seen her fighting style. He probably already had picked up on her strengths and weakness.

Sakura used the trunk of the tree she was leaning against and forced herself up. She was already completely healed but there was no harm in playing possum. If she could keep him in the dark for a little longer, she might be able to survive long enough to kill him. She just needed to draw from the little experience she had. She would use his prejudice against him.

_'I'll show you who's playing ninja.'_ She bit her lip once again but she could not keep it from stretching into a smile. She would finally get her shot at Danzo and the best part was that no one was here to stop her. Sakura was completely left at her own discretion. And her discretion was encouraging her to rip him apart with her bare hands. She would not let this man accomplish his goals. She would not let him near the people she loved. She would not let him get close enough to Itachi to corrupt him. She would not let him ruin Sasuke's life. She would not let him live past today.

She felt anger course through her veins. It fueled her, encouraged her, and empowered her. The grin on her face began decidedly more bestial and bloodthirsty. Today was the day she would become his judge, jury, and executioner. She would kill him, or she would die trying. The God's could wait, everything could wait. Killing Danzo was her priority. Another opportunity would not present itself, so she had to make the most of it now. She would bring his head back to Konoha on a pike.

"I'm honored that the great Danzo-sama found me worthy enough to execute himself." Sakura grinned at the man coolly. She hoped that he would not see through her facade. The rational part of her was terrified on the inside. But fear was not going to hold her back. It was going to fuel her. It was going to drive her. She would harness the emotion and use it as strength, as a skill. The fear would keep her grounded, desperate, and unpredictable.

She was not supposed to win this fight. She had no pressure to overcome, no hype to live up too. She was the underdog and she relished the role. Besides, something darker and stronger than fear was speaking for her. She felt the new found energy flooding her coils. Her stomach warmed her whole body. She could not lose, not with the God's on her side, not with this power budding in her. Sakura gripped her stomach.

The rational part of her brain began to quiet down. Doubt and reason abandoned her. They became submissive to the authoritative aura of the foreign chakra. It was different from Akemi's, she knew that much. It was too heavy, thick, and demonic to be hers. If it had a color, she would have guessed it to be a dark purple. It felt too sinister to be the same chakra that had stabilized her months ago.

Sakura did not know how to feel about the sudden desire to brutally murder Danzo. Had she been in the right state of mind, she would have been scared, hesitant to give into the coaxing pull of the chakra but she had a serious battle on her hands. The external enemy she faced took precedent to the internal enemy that she housed_. 'An enemy of my enemy is a friend.'_ Her thoughts rang hollowly in her head.

This thing inside of her, wanted Danzo dead just as much as she did- maybe even more than her. Sakura swallowed thickly. She trusted Akemi but she did not trust the thing churning inside of her coils._ 'No, I have to fight him on my terms.' _She briefly closed her eyes and willed the purple, near black, chakra back into its cage. She could feel the effects of it leaving immediately. She was not so sure of herself anymore.

Danzo was watching her with keen interest. He must of have seen something on her face that caught his attention. She met his gaze with defiance and courage. She would fight Danzo while she was completely in control. She was immensely grateful that the thing inside of her gut had receded without a struggle. She did not need two opponents.

Pride came before the fall, and Danzo was a hubris man by nature. He would underestimate her, she was sure of it. It was human nature to think that certain people were beneath one's time, and effort. And Danzo felt that way about her. She was but a mere ink blot in his otherwise flawless plans. He planned on killing her and the kage. He was putting his reputation on line for this one. He would kill her and humiliate her in the process. She was not worth his time. She was not worth anyone's time.

Sakura clenched her fists. She was tired of people labeling her, judging her, compartmentalizing her. She was an individual. She was human but others made it a point to try to make her less than that. They made sure to crush every ounce of her self esteem, to the point that she trusted their assessment more than her own senses.

Why was everyone so adamant of categorizing her? Her whole life others had labeled her as just a paper nin, just a medical nin, just a kunoichi. She was just the daughter of two civilians. She was just a Haruno. She was not blessed with large chakra stores, kekkei genkai, or powerful family jutsus.

She had to struggle for everything she was, everything she had, and everything that she planned on being. She had to take a path that not many had. She had to put her ego aside and ask for help, for guidance, for training, for an identity. Nothing was handed to her, she had to earn everything and no one had taken it easy on her. She had wanted to be a ninja because she had naively thought that if she was strong enough no one would dare bully her. She had thought that she would finally be able to gain confidence and stand up for herself. She had believed that she would finally be happy and independent. She had wanted to become someone that young Sakura could look up to.

But what young Sakura had failed to realize was that there were bullies at every stage, at every level, and every part of life. She had not considered that she would encounter even stronger, nastier, and eviler enemies as she moved up the ranks. She had not thought about how much harder she had just made life for herself. But today none of that mattered.

Today she would finally be able to prove to the naysayers just how much a paper nin, medical nin, and kunoichi was capable of. She would show them all that a daughter of two nobodies could become a somebody, through hard work and determination. Especially, when said individual was cornered. She would teach him a lesson that he would take to the grave. No one messed with Haruno Sakura without suffering the consequences. She had forgotten herself, but that was in the past. She had never been more sure of anything than she was now. One of them was going to die today.

"You know too much, you are a threat to me and therefore you are a threat to Konoha. I could not chance you surviving. Another opportunity to eliminate you might not present itself. I am merely cleaning up after myself." Sakura bit her lip to keep from correcting his logical fallacies. Just because she posed a threat to him it did not necessarily mean that she posed a threat to Konoha. He was part of the village but the village was not him. The village was more than him. Konoha reflected the interest and wishes of a majority and the majority did not share Danzo's views. Most saw him as an extremist, a war hawk, a senile old man, a trouble maker. But it would do no good to anger the man.

Instead she settled for charging at him head on. If she barely thought out her moves and just fought, that would decrease the chances of him predicting her movements. She would eventually need a plan but currently, her goal was to gather as much information on him as possible. He easily sidestepped her attack and shoved her to the ground. Sakura lashed out at him with her foot with the intention of taking him down with her but she failed.

The man tried to crush her face in with his foot but she kept his attack back with her crossed forearms. Danzo brought his foot to her face again but she fought back against the stomp. The pressure he was exerting threatened to snap her forearms in half. Sakura gritted her teeth and bide her time. She looked for an opening to unbalance his footing. She managed to grab his ankle and twist it harshly to the right. Danzo hissed at her, his uninjured leg made contact with the side of her head. Sakura ignored her double vision and quickly rolled to her feet.

She launched a barrage of punches and kicks in rapid succession. The sensation of blood rolling down her temple to her chin, barely registered with her. Her own arms and legs seemed like a blur. Her movements had been unpredictable at first but after a while, they began to follow into a similar pattern. Left punch, right punch, uppercut, right kick, roundhouse kick, left punch, dodge, left kick, and repeat. He was dodging them with less and less effort each time. She was beginning to tire and they both knew that fact. Danzo easily dodged all her attacks. Each one was slower than the one before.

"Pathetic, Konoha's ninja have fallen." Sakura snarled at him and picked up her pace. His words bothered her more than they should have. She was playing into his hands but she did not care. The need to hurt him was so great that it completely clouded her judgment. Her hatred for him distracted her from the heat in her belly. Her whole body was on fire but she dismissed it as her anger, she was very wrong to do that.

It was his fault. He was the reason Itachi killed his family. It was because the consequences of his order that Sasuke had changed. It was because of him that rumors spread that the Uchiha Clan controlled the kyuubi. It was because of him that the clan wad ostracized and belittled. He was the reason that Konoha never truly had a shot at peace. It was because of Danzo that Sasuke ultimately left the village for revenge. Danzo had the blood of the entire Uchiha Clan on his hands. He indirectly had the blood of her former teammate on his head.

She would paint the ground in crimson. She would avenge Sasuke, she would avenge Itachi. She would avenge all the innocent lives that he manipulated to further his agenda. She would finally tip the scales in the good-guy's favor. If Danzo wanted to fight dirty than so would she. Sakura did not have any reservations about dirtying her hands or reputation. She only had one objective, one goal, and one mission. She was here to make the future a better place and it would be just that, without Danzo. She did not have to worry about leaving behind a legacy. She would kill him for them. The brothers would get a normal childhood even if it came at her expense.

Sakura snarled loudly, her eyes were as hard as diamonds. Her nostrils flared in anger, hatred, and rage. She would not leave anything left of him. Her anger burned her from the inside out. She was losing control to an internal force and she let herself slip. She would do anything to let this man die. She needed power and the anger in her gut was more than willing to give it to her. Danzo's eye widened. He could have sworn he saw her eyes flash red and her features sharpen into those that were not human. Her eyes had narrowed and resembled the shape of a canine. It had only been for a split second before they returned to their hard emerald and usual shape. The woman before him was more than she was letting on. She housed something primal, vicious, and bloodthirsty. His lips tugged into a dark smirk. Perhaps he would have some fun, after all.

* * *

She just needed on hit. One clean hit and she would be done. One clean hit and his head would be knocked off his shoulders. One hit and she would be covered in his blood. One hit and she would have honored the memory of her lost teammate. One hit and everything would be validated. One clean hit and she would be satisfied.

But would the beast inside her? Would its hunger be satisfied? It was calling for more than Danzo's head. It was feeding her lies, clouding her rational thoughts. It was contorting her thoughts, her memories, and her goals. But she let it, it was giving her power and that was all she had asked for. An animalistic grin curled at her lips. A barbaric roar erupted from her throat. She did not even recognize the sound as her own.

One hit, she just needed on hit and Danzo would be dead. She kept pushing the man back and he failed to notice that he was at the edge of a crevice, a crevice she had created earlier. She felt adrenaline- and so much more-course through her. This was her chance, this was her moment. While Danzo was focused on securing his footing, Sakura pressed her advantage as she struck him hard in the chest. The hit was so powerful that she felt the vibrations in the air. She heard the sickening crack of his ribs. She had delivered enough force to cause everything in him to implode on itself. She smiled triumphantly to herself. Her smile quickly transformed into a look of horror.

The animalistic desire to hurt him was gone. The lines of her kin smoothed out. Her face completely transformed back into its normal state. She did not look menacing, intimidating, or even confident. She was the picture of confusion. Sakura looked down at her hands. She had punched him so hard that she had ripped apart the very fabric of her gloves. The leather was in tatters. She continued to stare at her bloody hands, she had three broken fingers. She had no idea how they got that way. Her eyes glazed over as fear gripped her heart. She had lost control. She had lost sight of what was truly important to her.

How could she have been so stupid?

* * *

_Flashback:_

_The buildings of Konoha whizzed past her in a blur of colors. She pushed even more chakra in her legs to quicken her pace. The faster she went, the worse the sinking feeling got. She needed to be at his side. He needed her. _

_"Where's Naruto?" She asked the nearest person who would listen. Her clipping tone caused the vaguely recognizable man to flinch. She did not have time to worry about whether or not she had hurt his feelings. She needed to see him. She needed to make sure that he was alright. _ _The brunette pointed her to the direction of the training grounds. Sakura furrowed her brows. She did not even pause to thank the shinobi before she took off in a full out sprint on again. '_

_Naruto,' she had no idea what state he would be in. The three marks on her arms pulsed painfully enough that she was forced to slow down, just enough that she could wince. _ _She hissed under her breath but she refused to completely halt her movements. She needed to be there for him. She had to be there for him. Her pink locks fluttered around her. The short strands streaked behind her as she flew by people. She ignored the surprised grunts of shinobi and civilians as she maneuvered her body through the gaps of the crowd. She did not apologize as she knocked a few dazed genin over, in her haste. _

_She ran until her lungs burned, her legs ached, and her muscles screamed. She skidded to a halt at the sight of him. He looked do defeated that it tore at her. She did not bother and catch her breath. He was her priority. Naruto had his back to her but she knew that he was aware of her presence. His shoulders seemed to hunch even more in front of her eyes. _ _She wordlessly took a seat next to him on the large, smooth boulder. She brought her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knee cap. Sakura closed her eyes and waited for the sixteen year old to start talking, whenever he was ready. There was no use in trying to force anything out of him. He would just shut down if she did that. _

_"Have you ever lost control, Sakura-chan?"His voice rang out softly, after a solid five minutes. He was facing her. She could tell from the sound quality of his voice. It hovered to her right. She could feel his body heat. Sakura kept her eyes closed and contemplated his question. She did not want to disappoint him, he trusted her enough to share his thoughts with her. She did not want to hurt him by giving him a poorly thought out answer. _ _She felt his eyes linger on the marks on her arm. They stung painfully under his scrutiny and that was how she knew he was staring at them again. They always reacted in an unpleasant manner when his gaze held them. He did not know that fact, it would only feed into his guilt. _

_Sakura leaned back on her hands, effectively breaking his eye contact from the markings. She enjoyed the soft breeze that fluttered through her hair. She finally opened her eyes to fix him with a pointed look. _ _His cerulean gaze stared back at her, unflinchingly. "We all lose control sometimes, Naruto. It's how you react to it that shows your true character." Sakura turned her head and stared at the lake in front of them. A few green leaves danced on the surface. She watched as the wind carried them higher and higher in the air. The pair twisted in the breeze. "It is how you carry yourself after that people remember, not whether you lost control or not."_

_Naruto followed her gaze and pressed his lips together. They were set in a hard line of stubbornness. "It's different when I lose control." He took a deep breath to steady himself. She detected the fear in his voice. It was barely there but she had identified it, nonetheless. "When I lose control people get hurt, people I care about, people like you." His gaze was piercing her. Sakura swallowed thickly. _

_The leaves rested on the surface of the water. The soft ripples around them gave her something to focus her eyes on. _ _He was feeling guilty again, no doubt thinking about the damage he had done during the Pein invasion. He had broken a promise to himself. He had relied on the power of the demon to fight the strongest enemy that he had every faced. He had needed the fox and he was forced to give himself up._

_In order for others to see him as a hero, he had to do the cowardly thing-in his mind, at least. She did not think any less of him for relying on the Nine-Tails' power. He had come back to them on his own and she knew just how difficult that feat was. She knew just how much courage and bravery it must have took to not completely let the fox overwhelm him, swallow him. _

_It was not fair that he was tormenting himself. He was a hero. Why did he not see himself how everyone else did? Why did he not see himself the way she did? How could he be so blind to his own accomplishments? _ _He was thinking about how deep he had let himself fall. He was thinking about how close he was to losing it all, how close he was to completely giving in. _

_"What's it like?" She asked him quietly. A stunned silence greeted her question. She had caught him off guard. She smiled despite herself. She had just rendered Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja completely speechless. She deserved a medal or something._

_Naruto stopped scanning her face with a stupefied expression on his face. He pinched his face together in concentration. His eyes squinted as he focused on her. Her green eyes flickered from his eyes to his tight set jaw. He was thinking really hard. He treated her questions with as much respect as she treated his. "It's like a blackout. I don't remember a thing. It's like waking up from a really long nap."_

_ He was struggling to explain himself. _ _Sakura nodded at him in an encouraging manner. She would be as patient as he needed her to be. "It's like someone else did all the bad stuff. Whenever I go deep enough to the point that I don't remember, I always feel like it wasn't me. I don't want to believe it was me."_ _ His voice had trailed off in a sad manner. He was thinking about the damage he had done when he encountered Orochimaru. He had been devastated to learn that he was the reason that the landscape was in shambles. He had been even more devastated to learn that he had permanently scarred her._

_Sakura closed her eyes again. She had come running to find him when she had sensed his chakra spike uncontrollably. He had a habit of doing that when he was angry or upset. He did it subconsciously but she had learned to pick up on it. She had left everything and came to him. She would do it all over again in a heartbeat. He was that important to her. He would have done the same for her._

_"That's because it wasn't you." She felt his wide eyes on her. She turned to smile confidently at him. "You're more than what's sealed inside of you, Naruto. You're so much more than the kyuubi. He isn't you, and you aren't him."__She wholeheartedly believed in what she was telling him. She was not scared of him, she did not blame him, and she did not despise him._

_She probably deserved it, after the way she treated him when they were kids. She had caused him more pain than anything the kyuubi could do to her. She believed in him more than she believed in anyone. He was Naruto, he always came through. It was just a proven fact, really. _ _Naruto's agape mouth hung loosely._

_ "How can you say that?" How did she not understand what he was capable of? Did she not see that her life was in danger, as long as she was close to him? Did she not realize that the seal could break at any moment? Did she not comprehend that he could snap her in half like a twig in seconds? Why did she still trust him? _ _His heart began to beat frantically as she moved closer to him. He searched her eyes frantically. There was not a trace of fear. All he saw was trust. She trusted him completely. Sakura placed her hand flat against his rapidly beating heart. _

_"I know because," she paused to spare him thoughtful look. "You're too kind, too brave, too strong, too loving, and too stubborn to lose to the kyuubi. You're too determined to let the fox rule your life. You promised us all that you will be the greatest Hokage of all time, are you really going to let a damn demon stand in your way? Is the kyuubi going to keep you from honoring your nindo?"_

_Naruto blinked at the teen before him. Everything she said had left him completely shocked. He had no idea that she had so much faith in him. He had never imagined her to be so truthful and forthcoming when it came to him. Her words filled him with hope. If someone like Sakura could believe him to such an extent then he must be doing something right._

_Sakura dropped her hand from his chest at the suddenly lecherous expression on his face. Her heart sank. 'Please Naruto, don't say something stupid.' Her eyes pleaded with the mischievous expression on his face. The rapid rise of color in his cheeks promised trouble. Her heart dropped to her toes. Asking Naruto to not do something stupid was asking for a little too much. _

_"Why don't you just come out and say it, Sakura-chan?" She did not buy the innocent smile on his face for a second. The way he was wiggling his eyebrows was really starting to make her sick. She did not know how much longer she could put up with his behavior, before she would have to get up and leave. _

_"Say what, Naruto?" The question left her lip before she could stop herself. The second the last syllable had rolled off her tongue, she realized her grave mistake. She had displayed interest in what the blonde idiot had to say. That was the first thing not to do, when conversing with Naruto. She had broken her own rule. _

_"That you love me." He brought his lips together in an unmistakable manner. He even had the audacity to squeeze his eyes shut. She stared at him with disbelief. Surely he could not be serious? Oh, but he was. He waved his hands in 'hurry up' fashion. That was all it took to bring her back from her startled state. _ _Sakura met his pursed lips with her knuckles.__She watched in satisfaction as the blonde sailed thirty feet in the air before dropping down into the freezing depth of the lake. She watched as the pair of leaves twirled in the air, almost angrily. Hero or no hero, he was still as Class A idiot that needed to be knocked down a few pegs from time-to-time._

_She waited for the ripples in the pound to calm. Her reflection stared back at her. She would spend the rest of her life in that Konoha denying the flush of her cheeks. She did not even get a chance to give herself a trumpet smile before a hand darted out the water and groped around for her ankle. _ _She let out an indignant shriek as his fingers curled around her joint and gave a harsh tug. _

_The water entered her open mouth as she was pulled under the surface. Her wide eyes scanned the surroundings in panic. She kicked towards the surface and gasped greedily. She looked very much like a drowned cat. Sakura clung to the rock and gathered her bearings. She let the cool, sweet air fill her lungs. "Naruto!" She said sharply in a disciplinary manner. _ _Her pink locks were plastered against her forehead. If she was red before then she was crimson now. Sakura swam towards the large bolder and pulled her wet frame from the water, with some difficulty._

_She heard his loud snickers and laughs from across the lake. He was keeping his distance, so he was not as suicidal as she had first surmised. _ _She muttered dark curses as she peeled off her black boots and set them aside to dry in the sun's warm rays. She shivered as she pulled off the first layer of her outfit, only leaving the half sleeved shirt that she wore under her vest. She wrung the moisture from the red garment as set it aside too. She would kill him when she got her hands around his neck. He would have to come out of the water eventually and she would be waiting for him._

_She gathered her locks and coaxed the water out of them. She had just washed her hair this morning and thanks to Naruto she would have to wash it again before she went to bed. The sounds of parting water greeted her ears. She glared heatedly at the smiling blonde. She was definitely going to kill him. "What?" She asked him irritably. _

_He was staring at her with a ridiculous amount of interest. _ _Her eyes narrowed at the trail of scarlet rolling down from in his nostril. 'Did he hit his nose?' She felt her anger momentarily subside as she contemplated the thought. She was certain that she had not hit him hard enough to draw blood. Maybe he hit his head on a rock when he landed in the lake?_ _She felt guilt well up inside of her. She had once again overreacted and poor Naruto had to pay the price. She really needed to learn to deal with her embarrassment and anger in a better way. _

_"Are you okay, Naruto?" She called out to him, perfectly masking the worry in her voice. But her face was another story. _ _He did not respond. His gaze was still firmly studying her, critiquing her, memorizing her- only his eyes were not on her face. Sakura furrowed her brow and set her chin. She followed his line of sight and froze. She was wearing a white shirt that clung to her like a second skin but that was not what had made her blood go cold. _

_She could easily make out the color, and shape of her black bra and the curve of her cleavage. Her shirt had turned utterly see-through because of the water. _ _She lifted her head. His nose was not bleeding because she had hit him, but she would change that soon enough. She let out a vicious snarl and jumped in the pound. She tore after his shrieking person with purpose. He could beg for his life all he wanted, but she would still show him no mercy. _

_"Get back here you perv! I'll show you losing control!" _

_End of Flashback_

* * *

She had lost control.

She had blacked out.

Naruto was right. It was like waking up from a long nap. She felt disoriented, tired, and completely confused. Her senses were not as sharp as she remembered and her brain was working at a painfully slow pace. She was missing important details. She was missing important clues to what exactly she had been doing before the black out. It was terrifying, losing control. It left her feeling hollow. It left her feeling incomplete, like a part of her had just died. Was this how Naruto felt every time he had relied on the kyuubi's power? She could not remember why she was staring at the man with an aghast expression on her face.

But she did know one thing. He should be dead. If her hands were in such a bad shape then he should be even worse. She did have enough sense to heal the broken fingers of her right hand. She watched on as Danzo appeared in front of her completely unhurt. "How?" She croaked not trusting her eyes. "It was a direct hit!" He should have imploded on himself. That hit would have easily ruptured every organ in his body four times over. It did not make sense why he was still moving. He should have been splattered across the landscape.

_'He should be dead,'_ her brain was still having trouble accepting what her eyes and ears were telling her. The mere fact that he was still breathing went against everything she had learned as a medic_. 'He should be dead.'_

But he was not. He was still very much alive and she might have just let her opportunity slip away. If he had been underestimating her in the past, he would not be doing the same now. She now had his complete and utter best coming towards her from now on.

"How you ask? Little girl, you are the first to personally witness my true power in over a decade! I did not think it would come to this." Sakura watched in morbid fascination as the brace from his right arm came off. The white tape fluttered in the air as he freed the appendage. She forced the bile down in her throat at the sight in front of her. His arm was completely discolored. It was a sickly grey in hue. It resembled Zetsu's skin.

"Are those the First's cells?" She asked in a deeply troubled tone. Danzo was not better than Orochimaru. The man before her had experimented on himself to replace a lost limb. He had used the cells of another man to make himself stronger. But it was how he did it that bothered her. He had stolen another man's cells and utilized them. Living cells of the First were now flowing through Danzo.

It sickened her to her stomach that the man was willing to go to such great lengths to overcome weakness, to become powerful. He was not human by her standards. He was a sociopath. He truly did not have any regard for human life. It weighted on her conscious, on her morals. She realized that morals had no place in the lives of Orochimaru and Danzo.

They played by their own rules. They treated everyone a means to an end. To them, people were nothing more than tools to use at their convince. They did not see the people they used or experimented on as humans, they saw them as nothing. They meant nothing to them and that scared her.

They dehumanized their subjects and rationalized their actions by considering them lower than dirt. They did not feel remorse for the people they used, and killed because in their minds, those people were beneath them. They were put on earth so the 'strong' and 'revolutionaries' could better themselves. The lack of compassion and concern they showed for the human race angered her beyond comprehension.

"You're a smart one. As expected from Tsunade's apprentice. I used my arm to take the blunt of the hit. Your attack was strong enough to damage it but no matter it will grow back." His grin sent fear down her spine. That part of his body was more or less invincible. As long it remained attached to him, it would be able to regenerate. "It's not a complete model yet. But fear not, it will be in a decade or so." The grin on his face was nothing short of brutal.

Sakura felt her blood freeze. He was referring to the Uchiha Massacre. He was planning on using their eyes to implant in his arm. His obsession with the Sharingan was unmatched by anyone, even Orochimaru. Sakura's face transformed into a horrified mask, this man was something else. At least Orochimaru had developed a semblance of a relationship with another human being. At least the snake sannin had trusted another, even if it was Kabuto. But Danzo trusted no one but himself. Danzo did not care for another.

Sakura's stomach flipped in disgust. She had to kill this man. He was the one who had manipulated Itachi's inherent desire for peace. He had forced a young boy to turn on his family. Danzo had forced him to choose his family or his village. Danzo would die and she would be the one to bring him down. She could no longer let this man walk amounts the masses. The Hokage would understand. She would have to make him understand. There were no other alternatives. Danzo wielded too much power and influence to keep alive. Imprisoning him would only come back and haunt them.

"You will not win." She snarled at him and tore after him. He had to die. And she would be the one to have his blood her hands. She could not stand by and let this man destroy another life. The memory of Sai and Sasuke were her motivation. She was fighting for them. They were her reason for struggling. They were the reason why she had to win. She would gladly give up a part of herself, if it meant that they would have a chance at happiness.

He smirked at her."Foolish girl, you are nothing but a mere hindrance. Futon: Slash." Sakura gasped as blades cut into her skin nearly carving her. She felt the sting even in her bones. Her numerous cuts began to bleed sluggishly. They were not deep enough to kill her instantly, but if she left them untreated she would eventually bleed out. He wanted her death to be slow and painful.

She gritted her teeth, "that all you got old man?" In truth the attack had more or less bit into her confidence. The blades of wind had sliced through major muscles and it was immensely painful to just stand upright. She did not know how she would find the strength to fight him. Right now, just standing was a battle that she was quickly losing. He growled at her.

"Futon: Vacuum Blade." Sakura brought a kunai from her pouch and watched on warily. She did not know what the man had planned but charging in blindly had proven to be a stupid thing to do. She could not let herself blackout again. If she had any hopes of winning, she needed to stay in control. She would honor what she had said to Naruto. It did not matter that she had lost control, what mattered was how she was going to react to it. Would she let the knowledge cripple her with despair or would she use it as motivation? She watched as Danzo infused his jutsu with a handful of shuriken before he flung them at her.

Sakura had managed to dodge most of them but the last one cut her calf. Had she not reinforced her leg with chakra, it would have been sliced right through the bone. She leaned heavily on her good leg. '_His strengths run right against my weaknesses. My earth jutsus are useless against his wind release. This is bad.' _What was even worse, she did not have a large body of water at her disposal. With her new injuries it would be too risky to get close to him. She would not be able to flee to safety on her bad legs.

"Giving up already girl? Didn't you just tell me that I won't win?" He smirked cruelly at her. She felt her blood boil but she bit her knuckles to keep herself in the now. She would need every bit of herself when she fought him.

* * *

Minato let out a small, frustrated sigh. It was barely even audible but he knew that Hokage had heard it. The old man's lip twitched downward in a shell of a frown. The light in the room was receding fast. The sun would set in a few hours but his day was far from done. It was just about to get longer. The Hokage had dismissed his squad after a mission report but had asked him to stay behind. And that could only mean one thing: he was sending him out again.

The blonde had barely returned from short mission and he was not ready to head back out, just yet. Up until this point, he had never voiced his displeasure and frustrations with the frequentness Hokage's assignments. He had always accepted the missions without a word. In fact, he had been gracious about them. He knew that each mission brought them closer to the end of the war and ultimately, closer to his goal. But enough was enough.

He felt himself slipping on the frontlines. He had made his fair share of mistakes lately. And it was only a matter of time before one of them became fatal. The kage had been running him haggard the past few weeks. He was being assigned odd tasks to help with the war effort. The missions were rarely longer than one and a half days but they kept him flying around. He hardly had a second to catch his breath much less do anything else. He had been lucky to have a few minutes to spare for Sakura two days ago. His arm had completely healed but he still sported the bandages Sakura had tied on him like battle armor. He was sure the Hokage had noticed but the Sandime had yet to comment.

"What is it now, old man?" He asked the Hokage tiredly, with dark eyes. He leaned against the wall. The wood was holding him up more than his legs were. They were threatening to give out from underneath him. He wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and sleep through the rest of today. But all of that was wistful thinking. He was about to be sent off to run after some Iwa nin. They were deplorable creatures that liked to hide underground. It was a good thing that he was not claustrophobic, otherwise completing these missions would have been a hell of a lot harder and unpleasant.

"Minato, I have a mission for you. You will set out at once." The Hokage's pipe was miraculously absent from his lips. '_Must be serious,' _Minato thought dryly. Even with his observation, he had made up his mind to reject it. He was simply too tired to take on such a heavy responsibility. He needed to rest. He was only human, and that came with its limitations. Sometimes he felt that the Hokage conveniently forgot that fact.

Sure he was young, but he was not a God. Even the young needed sleep sometimes and he was long overdue for it. He was only needed a few hours and then he would be good as new in the morning. Whatever the Hokage wanted him to do could wait until then. He did not see what could be urgent enough to have him leave so soon after getting back.

"Hokage-sama, I think I've reached my lim-" Minato began explaining. He was bone tired and all he wanted to do was to be dead to the world for a couple hours. It did not sound like an unreasonable request to his ears. In fact, if the Hokage let him rest he would be able to go off and complete the missions with more efficiency.

"It's about Sakura." Minato snapped back into attention, his eyes went hard. Sleep could wait. The tightness in his gut informed him that the pinkette had gotten herself into more trouble while he had taken his eyes off her. He had only been gone for two days and she had somehow managed to create a fiasco serious enough that she needed to be bailed out by him. A part of Minato was irritated that the Hokage had brought up the topic of her so casually. If she was in danger then Sarutoi should have just opened up with that fact. It would have saved them precious time.

"Is she okay?" Concern managed to creep into his voice. He frowned at it presence but thankfully the kage did not seem to notice it. He was too busy reaching into his drawer for something. Minato's eyes narrowed at the thin scroll he handed him. It was half the size of an official mission scroll. No doubt the Hokage had been pressed for time when writing it. All of this did not serve to calm his nerves.

"Minato, I'm sorry I can't explain anything right now." The Hokage looked just as worn out as Minato felt. Dread lodged itself in his throat. It must be bad if the Hokage was unable to discuss it. He felt anxiety build in him. He needed to move and get to her. She could be dying.

"Take this scroll. Read it once you out of Konoha's jurisdiction and not a moment before then. Burn it once you're done." The Hokage's voice was sharp with finality. Minato nodded curtly before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

His eyes scanned the text of the scroll for the umpteenth time.

_Minato,_

_Sakura's identity has been compromised. Danzo set order for her execution. He is no longer in the village so it can be safe to assume he is handling this personally. Do not engage enemy in combat unless absolutely necessary. __Keep an eye out for a tail. Danzo may have ordered for you to be followed. _

_Sarutobi Hiruzen. _

Minato cursed out loud. The scroll burned in the small sphere of wind he had made. He released the jutsu once everything inside of the dome was completely incinerated.

"Damnit Sakura, why do you always get yourself in these situations?" He was not worried about being followed. They would never be able to catch him. He was more than capable of covering the distance in a few hours. He pushed his legs to carry him faster and further. He needed to get to her in time. He had a reputation for his impeccable timing skills and he hoped that it would not desert him now.

* * *

Sakura stared at the large summoning in front of her with loathing. She was not impressed with the size, shape, or appearance of it. She maneuvered her body out of the way as he charged her. His tusks glistened in the fading sunlight.

She was mindful of her injured extremity. She needed to buy time so that she would heal it properly. The bastard was keeping her hands full with staying alive. He did not even spare her a second to catch her breathe.

The summoning opened his mouth and began to draw large amounts of air. Sakura fought futilely against the pull and found herself in the mouth of the beast. A foul and rancid odor reached her nose. She nearly emptied the contents of her stomach after one whiff. She brought a hand to cover her nose and blinked rapidly and waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. She was standing on something squishy.

It was the beast's tongue. Sakura did not let herself dwell on the fact that she was covered in saliva and digestive acid. She did not have the luxury to worry about the details. She needed to get out of the summoning's mouth and it did not matter how pretty she made the method look. She jumped just high enough to strike the roof of his mouth with a powerful punch. The mouth that had once trapped her vanished and she landed unceremoniously on her side.

She pulled herself up in time to avoid another wind enhanced needed a way to disable the healing properties in his arm long enough for her to kill him. But that was easier said than done. Danzo was well aware of the chink in his armor and he was protecting it with his life. Because after all, his livelihood depended heavily on his enhanced limb and they were both fixated on that fact.

"You've defeated Baku. I'd say that I'm impressed but I would be lying." He sneered at her through a narrowed eye. Nothing would ever be enough for him. She could be on the verge of ripping his heart out with her bare hands and he still would be unimpressed with her. He would still probably deem her too soft, and kind to be a ninja.

Suddenly, an idea came to Sakura. '_Of course!' _She resisted the temptation to hit her forehead with her palm at her stupidity. " Doton:Earth Dome." A corridor swelled from the ground and surrounded her in a protective manner. It was only a false sense of security. The barrier would crumble after the first wind jutsu made contact. But it provided her with another service.

Since she was safe from Danzo's watchful eyes behind her fortress, she set to work. Her hands flickered a light blue, it was hardly noticeable. She barely had enough chakra to form the scalpel but even in its weakened state it should be enough to sever his arm from his body. The chakra scalpel was a technique that focused more on perfect control and less on the amount of chakra used. It was perfect for her situation. She needed to end this quickly because she was running out of options.

"Earth is nothing when faced with wind. Didn't they teach you that at the academy?" He mocked her. Sakura braced herself against her fortress. Her back pressed up firmly against the solid mud. She felt it being assaulted by sharp whips of wind, her back vibrated with each blow. The earth creaked loudly against the pressure. She only had a few more seconds before it splintered into a million pieces. He was turning her shield into a lethal weapon against her.

"You can't win Danzo. Your vision for Konoha is nothing but pain, loss, sadness, and fear. I won't let you win!" Danzo watched as the woman jumped from her sanctuary just as it exploded into tiny pieces of shrapnel. She descended towards him with her palm out. Her objective was painfully predictable. She was not even bothering to hide her attack. Fatigue was making her sloppy.

He smirked. "I've seen this before. It won't work." He kicked her in the abdomen with his good leg, using his cane to maintain balance. The man watched in satisfaction as she landed heavily on her side, he heard her 'ribs' crunch loudly. The contact did not sound like a body and earth it was more accurate to describe it as mud colliding with mud. He looked down at her with disdain.

"You sent a clone to do your biding. Disgraceful," he spat at the clone before turning around to intercept an attack from above. He punched her face and watched with pleasure as her expression contorted in pain."You will never beat me because you are bound by the misplaced bylaws of _your _Konoha. The village is weak. It will not do all that is necessary to ensure that we are respected throughout the land."

He grabbed a fistful of her pink locks and forced her unfocused eyes to look at him. Green rolled to the side before finally turning to him. She was completely disoriented and stunned. She would not be able to defend herself from any attack. He could kill her now, but he still had a few things that he wanted to share with her.

"I should thank you kunoichi, you made me realize the mistakes that I would have made, all the loose ends that I would have had. I will make sure that is not the case, this time around." He brought his knee to her face and watched her pass out. Her eye lid closed over her eyes. "Your village thanks you for your service."

His smirk vanished as his eye widened in shock. He looked at the detached limb at his feet. _His _detached limb at his feet, "you insolent child have you any idea what you've done?" He roughly grabbed the hair of the woman and was surprised. She was still out cold. She had not moved a muscle."How?" He turned behind him and felt disgusted with himself. "So you were the real one. You knew I would dismiss you as a clone and you waited for your opening."

His voice betrayed nothing but his eyes looked positively murderous. Sakura smirked darkly at him. She was huddled over clenching her stomach and she was favoring her good leg heavily. He tasted bile in his throat. This thing, this weak thing, had managed to remove the strongest part of him. She had managed to harm him in the biggest way possible.

Fury propelled his movements. He grabbed her throat in his hand and began crushing it. She did not fight back, for she had expended all her energy already. Her locks tumbled down her back in waves. Her hair was too impractical for a ninja, Danzo noted dryly. She was too impractical to be a ninja. She could have lived a long life as a housewife. That was all women were good for anyway. But she had chosen this path. She had chosen to become a kunoichi. She had brought this on herself. She only had herself to blame for her death.

"You stupid girl, removing Hashirama's cells from my body was your end game? No matter, I'll just have Orochimaru reattach it. How does it feel to know that your sacrifice was in vein?" He was belittling her. He eased up the grasp on her throat a fraction so that she could respond. To his displeasure she was still smirking at him.

"H-he's d-dead." She looked very proud of herself it made Danzo sick. Fear gripped his heart. How could that be possible? He was careful to cover the man's tracks. They had no reason to be suspicions of him. He had been meticulous at cleaning up after him. He had personally dealt with all matters concerning Orochimaru.

"You," he narrowed his eyes and head butted her. Blood gushed out of her mouth and onto his cheek. "How dare you?" He was going to kill her. He would make her suffer. She would be an example for all. Being his enemy did not end well. He applied more pressure on her neck and she started to struggle against him. It was futile he was close to crushing her.

Sakura's mind began to reel. She was going to die. '_No, I have too much to do! I can't die yet.'_ She felt warmth spread from her forehead down to her throat. It filled her and eased the pain from his grip_. 'Just a little more,'_ she coaxed the humming chakra that was not her own, to flow through her.

It felt drastically different than the other chakra. That chakra had been heavy, dark, menacing. This chakra was light, pure, and supportive. This chakra was giving to her, adding to her, not taking away like the other had been. This chakra felt familiar. Her vision was beginning to blur from the lack of oxygen but she was filled with strength and purpose. _'I need more!'_

The medic closed her eyes and willed the seal containing the foreign power to open. Sakura felt pain shooting from her forehead and it blinded her. Her face was set in an expression of pure agony. Her body was burning, now. The once pleasant warmth was gone. It was replaced by scathing heat but it was nothing like experiencing a fire jutsu. She was burning with power, with could feel the orbs on her forehead explode and chakra flooded through her system and it completely overwhelmed her.

Sakura felt tears stinging her eyes and she tried desperately to stay conscious. She still wanted to be in control. She could not risk crossing her own lines. She could not lose herself to this power.

Danzo watched watched with a horrified expression as the medic in his grip became engulfed in a bright white light. Her skin burned his hand and he was forced to let go. The woman crumpled to the ground in a heap. A thick tendril of pure white chakra struck him through his chest.

He screamed.

The pain was undeniable he felt it in every cell. The woman's strange chakra began to shock his system and completely immobilize him. He was dying from an overdose of energy. He was dying from too much power. It was burning his coils, rendering them completely unless. If he somehow survived this, he would never be able to mold chakra again.

It was burning him on the way in and the pain was so immense that the gaping hole in his chest was an afterthought. He needed relief. All his pain receptors were firing off at once and it left him wishing for death. Mercifully, Danzo managed to overcome the pain long enough activate his seal. "D-die, Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique!"

He watched in wonder as a black sphere enclosed the both of them. It was beautiful. The obsidian that grew from within his chest was the most awe inspiring thing that he had the privilege of witnessing. The ebony sphere did not hide its potential for destruction. It would destroy everything within an five mile radius. The damage that it would do was going to be devastating. It was a shame that he would not get to witness the aftermath, firsthand. But it was enough to know that he was the cause of it.

It was because on him that this area would be completely obliterated. His dark eye turned from the black ball to the fallen kunoichi. A wicked smile was plastered on his lips. She was in no condition to escape. He would die and his only consultation was that she would die too. It would be a draw and that was so much better than a loss.

Sakura looked on in a hazy state at the black orb of chakra. It was now the size of a small child. She was going to die. Even Akemi would not be able to save her. The creation rebirth would do nothing. How could it heal her if there would be nothing left of her to heal? She watched from her crumpled position as the orb grew larger, it was as big as Danzo now.

She drew her knees to her chest and tired to make herself as scarce as possible. She was really going to die. At least the chakra was ebbing the pain of her injuries. She almost felt content.

Another tendril of chakra pierced him through his lungs. He drew his last shallow breathes in stubbornly. He wanted to watch her be disintegrated before his own death. He would not die before her. His dark eye pinned her green gaze. She would die and Danzo would be the last person she saw.

The sphere continued to grow in size until it had managed to completely engulf them. Their end was near. His smile grew even larger than before. There was nothing that she could do now. Even if she managed to clamber to her feet, there was no way that she could outrun the blast. She was not fast enough. No one was fast enough.

He chuckled wetly. The white light that had been surrounding her was completely overwhelmed by the darkness of his jutsu. She was completely powerless and weak. And he was the reason why. He licked his bloody lips in anticipation. He would see her explode. He would have the privilege of watching her being ripped apart, cell by cell. He would see her die before his very eyes. The only thing that dampened his mood was that she was not crying or begging for mercy.

She was like him in that regard. She was too proud to do such a thing, even when she was faced with death. The sphere grew to a hundred times its original size. Now everything that was around them was encapsulated in the ebony glow of the dome.

Nothing would be able to enter and most importantly, nothing would be able to leave. He continued to chuckle uncontrollably. He had severely underestimated the medic. She had pushed him further than anyone else had. He had failed but it was not a complete loss, she had not succeeded either.

* * *

She closed her eyes. She refused to give Danzo what he wanted. If she was going to die then it would be on her terms. She would die with the smiling faces of her friends in her head. She would die feeling accomplished not weak. She would die remembering everyone she had risked her life for. She would not die with any regrets.

One face dominated her thoughts. It took center stage in her mind. Maybe she would have one small regret but her death might end up being a blessing in disguise. If she was dead then nothing was preventing Naruto's parents from falling in love. Maybe her death would finally bring the blondes happiness.

Her heart was torn from being elated for Naruto and being broken for herself. His happiness would come at the heels of her loss but she would rather have it that way than the other way around. She could finally satisfy her dream of seeing him be happy. He could finally have everything that he had earned. She could finally pay him back for his kindness, for his faith, for his friendship, and his love.

She was satisfied with her impeding doom but it did nothing to stop a familiar face from looking so disapprovingly at her. She hated the way his lips were tugged into a line of worry. She wanted nothing more than to smooth the lines of his forehead. She wanted to smile reassuringly at him until the concern left his blue eyes. She had let Minato down. She was supposed to live and ensure that his wife survived childbirth. She was supposed to live and ensure that the kyubbi attack never happened. She was supposed to live and ensure that Naruto's parents lived long lives, by shinobi standards.

But she would not be able to do any of that. Her only silver lining was that Naruto had the opportunity to bring peace to the world. He might not be able to avoid the loss of his parents but he would have Sasuke by his side. He would have the Uchiha Clan to help him, to raise him. Mikoto would be good to him. She would love him like her own.

Things would be better for Naruto. She hoped that she had done enough for him. But she knew that she had not done for Minato. She could have done so much more, but Danzo had taken the possibilities away.

She was going to die and much like the first time, she would be alone. No one was around to cry for her. No one would miss her. No one would even remember her in a year's time. A tear escaped from underneath her lashes. She was supposed to have already made peace with her death. So why was the idea of leaving everyone behind tearing her apart? Why was it so much harder this time around?

She kept her eyes shut tightly, she did not want to see his smug face. She took in a deep breath and the corners of her lips twitched upward. She felt herself being lifted by a pair of sturdy arms. She felt safe for the first time in while. Her whole world jolted around her. Her hair flew wildly around her. She leaned a fraction closer to the new found warmth. Her nose burrowed deeply into the folds of clothing. She recognized the scent but she could not quite place it.

If this was dying, then it was not too bad.

* * *

Danzo's eyes widened when he was a flash of yellow for the briefest seconds before he was alone. He frantically scanned the expanse of the dome for any signs of pink. He moved on his hands and knees to the spot she had previously occupied. He reached for the very location. His hands came up empty. He roared loudly when he failed to spot her.

He felt the electricity in the air thicken. His time was coming to an end. He fell on his back and stared at the setting sun through an onyx filter. With his last breathe he cursed Namikaze Minato and Haruno Sakura.

* * *

Like what I did there? Please review!

~L.H.


	17. Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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Warning: Contains spoilers and blood.

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Hello Dear Readers,

First and foremost, thank you. I was completely floored, shocked, stupefied, ecstatic, and disbelieving of all the positive support I received for last chapter. Thank you so much. It means so much to know that real people actually enjoy my writing. It puts one of those big, cheesy grins on my face. You guys are amazing. :)

This chapter has some major plot developments. The devil is in the details so pay attention! Most of the backstory's foundation is laid in this chapter. There will be some gaps in the backstory to why Sakura was chosen and those questions will not be answered until way later. I do not want to give up all my cards so easily.

I know many of you are looking forward to more Sakura and Minato moments. Be patient with me, I have great things planed for those two. The plot is really going to start moving at a rapid rate after the next couple chapters. I promise a lot more action and romance in the not so distant future.

So please enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think. Reading your reviews in quickly becoming one of my favorite pass times. Until next time!

~L.H.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Revelations

_Flashback: _

_Jade flickered to the right. _

_Sakura's eyes caught the movement of the green tarp. Her back went rigid as her eyes meet ivory. "Hinata," the name came off her lips in a whisper. Sakura stood before the Hyuga Heiress, suddenly feeling very self-conscious and awkward. Without thinking, she tucked a loose strand of pink behind her ear and smoothed the fabric of her vest. She could do nothing about the blood stains on her clothes, so she chose to not think about them. _

_Things had been tense and awkward between them ever since Naruto's memories and emotions had been unloaded on all of them. The poor sixteen year old heiress had to live with the knowledge of just how much Naruto loved Sakura. She had carried that in her heart for over four years now. It was still a raw injury. Four years had only dulled the pain slightly. _

_"Sakura-san," her voice was the epitome of class and regality. Even in the chaos that was their lives, Hinata still managed to carry herself with the grace of a noble family member. Not once had Sakura even seen a hair out of place, much less a smudge of dirt marring her flawless skin. __She was absolutely radiant and beautiful. She was what every young kunoichi strived to be. Hinata had truly grown into her appearance. She was no longer hiding who she was and who she had become. The heiress was finally comfortable with herself and Sakura envied her for it._

_She was the exact opposite of Hinata. She was loud and messy to Hinata's clam and clean. She was quick to anger and clumsy, while Hinata was forever composed and graceful. She was unraveling but the princess was thriving. Hinata was kind and considerate, but all Sakura could ever be was cold and crass. Hinata was perfect for Naruto but he was too busy wasting his time on her. _

_"What can I do for you?" Sakura tried to stretch her face into a smile but the act seemed out of place and foreign. It left her cheeks aching. She watched as Hinata glided into the tent, her feet never touched the ground. Sakura envied her ability to find the perfect balance of strength and femininity. She ran an anxious hand through her rough hair. She had chopped it off again in haste but this time there was no Ino to clean it up for her. She knew just how unruly and untamed her mane was. _

_ Her hair would grow in coarse and woefully uneven. The ends of her locks curled towards her chin. The war had swallowed her whole. Her younger, preteen version of herself would have been appalled at what she had become. The clothes she wore drowned her. She had lost weight since the beginning of the war and not in an attractive way. She resembled a boy more than a woman. She hated it but she had little time to worry about her boyish appearance. She had lives to save, even if she was only cursed to help those she did not know personally. _

_"Do you have a minute? There is something I need to talk to you about." Her eyes met the medic's unflinchingly. While the war had caused Sakura to turn inward to hide from all the pain she felt, it had the opposite effect on Hinata. Since Neji's death, she had taken it upon herself to adopt some of his mannerisms, which included his old habit of speaking his mind and never regretting what left his lips. _

_Sakura bit the inside of her cheek but nodded her head. She was already dreading her decision. She did not want to spend a second more than was absolutely necessary with Hinata. She liked her. She really did, but not enough to go through a bout of self doubt and loathing. __She did not despise the woman. In reality, she was proud of Hinata for coming so far but she could not help but feel inadequate in her presence. Hinata had moved forwards leaps and bounds while Sakura had fallen behind. She had fallen behind all of them- or fallen behind what was left of them._

_Hinata spared her a timid smile. Sakura recognized it instantly. It was as fake as her own were. Hinata's eyes kept darting towards the exit almost as if she really did not want to be here as much as Sakura. The pinkette watched in silence as Hinata clasped and unclasped her hands. As much as the heiress had changed, there were still some habits that she could not completely shake. _

_It brought the medic more comfort than it should have. It reminded her of the old Hinata, the Hinata that she was comfortable talking too. The Hinata that did not remind her of all her shortcomings, the Hinata that made her feel good about herself. The Hinata that was less confident, less accomplished, and less respected than her. _

_It disgusted Sakura to admit it, but she missed that Hinata. Or rather, she missed the time that Hinata was from. Because back then, Sakura still had all the people she loved, she still had her confidence, she still had her ignorance, and she still had herself. When she looked in the mirror, she did not recognize the woman that stared back at her. So she avoided all reflective surfaces with a purpose. She did not want to have to face the glassed eyed individual that stared back at her with a haunted look on her pale face._

_ That woman's eyes were so dead. They were completely apathetic to the world around them. Those eyes belonged to her, or what was left of her. Sakura hated those eyes, almost as much as she hated herself. _

_Hinata's pale irises pinned her with a grave stare. "He loves you," Sakura licked her chapped lips as her heart plummeted. She should have ran at the sight of her. This was one conversation that she never wanted to have, especially with Hinata. She lowered her eyes to her own tight knuckles. She was gripping on her bent knees with so much strength, that she was beginning to lose sensation in her fingers. _

_She hated how everyone was involving themselves in her business. First it had been Sai, she overlooked that because he was bringing something to her attention for the first time. Then it was complete strangers and now it was Hinata, the woman who loved Naruto with all her heart. _

_Sakura realized just how unworthy she was but she did not constantly need to be reminded of the fact. She already had to put up with the hateful looks and hurtful remarks from the alliance shinobi. They all hated her as a person. They thought lowly of her. They could not understand why she turned Naruto away. Neither could she. _

_He was perfect for her, for anybody. But why did she keep rejecting him? Why did she keep hurting him? Why did she continue to break his heart? Why did she continue to break her own? _

_He loves her, he loves her madly. She knew that and she also knew that no one else would be able to ever come close to feeling the same about her. No one would love her like he loved her. Even after knowing all of that, it was not enough. It was not enough to make her take the leap of faith. She still could not let herself completely open up to him. _

_"And I don't blame him."Her whole body locked up. She did not dare to meet Hinata's eyes. She continued to listen in stupefied silence. She had misheard her. That was the only explanation her sluggish brain offered. Sakura clung to it, because the alternative was just too painful. "You remind him of his mother. Kushina-san was a lot like you." _

_She was shaking because of her words. Sakura had not earned the right for Hinata to comfort her, to compliment her, to endorse her. She should be with the masses. The heiress should be staring down her nose at Sakura, like the rest of them. "And from what she told him, she wanted him to pick someone like her, for Naruto to love. So it's only natural that he picked you." _

_The conviction in her voice had not wavered once. It became clear to Sakura that Hinata was giving her a rehearsed speech. How many times had the Hyuga ran these very words through her head to completely remove the emotion and meaning from them? How many times had she crushed her heart in a million pieces just so she could parrot them back without feeling anything? _

_"I'm my own person, Hinata." Sakura raised her glossy eyes meet Hinata's surprised ones. "I may remind people of Tsunade, and Kushina but I'm my own person. I have my own faults and shortcomings. I am nothing like those women, they were heroes. They did something with their lives. They all protected their loved ones. They did not cause any of them pain. I'm nothing like them. I'm just me." _

_Hinata took in Sakura's blank visage with wide eyes. The words she had painstakingly practiced for months abandoned her. It confused her to why Sakura thought so lowly of herself. Her line of thought had completely blind sighted the dark haired woman. She swallowed thickly at Sakura's perfectly crafted mask. She was hurting but she was putting on a front for the world. It was an approach that she was very familiar with. "Sakura-san, you are more like them than you think." _

_A glimmer of emotion flashed across Sakura's eyes. Hinata had her attention. She was really listening now. "Those women were heroes, and they did protect the people they loved. But that's not the reason he loves you." _

_Hinata took a breath to steady her rapidly beating heart. It was threatening to break all over again. Her perfect facade was close to slipping. She was risking everything-that she had worked so painstaking for- for Sakura, for her rival. _

_She was comforting her rival for Naruto's heart. But even she had to admit that it was never a fair contest. Sakura held his heart long before Hinata had gathered the courage to even utter two words to him. By the time she had confessed her feelings to him, it was much too late. His heart already belonged to another. _

_ Sakura's jade eyes bore into her with desperation. She did not see it. She did not understand the correlation. Hinata's heart panged in sympathy but that did not surprise her. Sakura's view of herself was horribly deluded and convoluted. "You're kindness and ability to put others before yourself is what attracts people to you. You're a hero in your own right." _

_Hinata's soft smile put her over the edge. Sakura let herself finally cry for the loss of her mentor and second mother, she cried for Ino, she broke down for Sasuke. The amount of kindness that Hinata had shown her was unmatched by anything she had experienced. She felt herself starting to heal. "I-thank you." Her watery eyes finally reflected the emotion that she had been repressing. She could allow herself a moment of weakness in front of Hinata. She knew in her heart that the heiress would not judge her for it. After all, Hinata had more or less endorsed Sakura as a person. _

_Hinata grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "I wish that I could be more like you, Sakura-chan. Your capacity to care is amazing. You're a human before being a shinobi and despite how bleak things look your faith in him never wavered. You never left your morals behind. You taught me that there is a place for humanity in our lives." _

_Sakura's bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. She had avoided this conversation because she had convinced herself that Hinata resented her. But she should have known better, Hinata was incapable or holding a grudge. Hinata was not like her. For better or worse, Hinata was not like her and she could never be._

_Sakura roughly wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. She directed a real smile towards the Hyuga. She released a shaking breath. "You really are as kind as your mother, maybe even kinder. Don't wish to be like me when you're such a great person in your own right. You're going to make a great leader, Hinata." _

_The blinding smile that blossomed on Hinata's face defrosted some of the numbness in her heart. _

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Her body ached.

Sakura felt as if everything was burning. Her body was in pain. Her mind was in pain. She was in pain. She opened her eyes and looked at the blankness surrounding her. She did not have enough energy in her to move. She lay flat on her back much like the time that she should have died.

Sakura's brain was too far gone to be able to even comprehend where she was. Sakura's brain was too far gone to be bothered with such trivial matters. Her brain was focused on survival. She had to survive the burn of injuries. She was too preoccupied with not withering in a heap that she did not even recognize the kind face that was staring down at her with concern.

"Flower-chan, I think I can help." The woman's bell like voice soothed the migraine in Sakura's head. The mere sound of her voice was therapeutic and comforting. Sakura closed her eyes, shielding them from the soft, irritating light. It once had filled her with warmth and sense of belonging. She only found it to be annoying now.

'_Please,' _she wanted to say but all that came out was a pathetic sound. Every cell was on fire. Her neurons were a mess, completely overwhelming her with pain. There was no part of her that did not throb. Each limb felt heavy and immovable. She felt physically broken, even more broken than the time Zetsu had almost killed her.

The woman placed her hands on Sakura's temples and the medic felt the pain ease away. She kept her eyes closed in relief and waited patiently for all the pain to dull away into nothingness. The lead that was weighing her down was replaced by bliss. She felt lighter than air. She sighed deeply and exhaled loudly through her nose. The simple task of taking a deep breath no longer brought immense hurt.

The medic opened her eyes to find that Akemi was lying next to her. Sakura reached out to intertwine their fingers. Her hands were warm against her frozen fingers. She was appreciative of Akemi's heat. She needed to assure herself that she was not as alone as she felt. "Thank you." She whispered at the golden eyed woman. The woman just smiled softly in return.

"What happened?" Sakura asked after a comfortable silence had engulfed them. She had been hesitant to break the calm but her brain was fully functioning. She could not sit back and relax when there was a high chance of her demise or someone else's on the horizon.

Her throat was raw, but she had no idea why. Maybe she had screamed without even realizing it. The medic's tongue peaked out from the thin gap of her lips. It rolled over her chapped lower lip. If she tried hard enough, she could still taste her blood. Sakura closed her heavy lids over her eyes. She made a soft grunt as the maiden drew a loud, even breathe.

"You nearly died. You had to borrow chakra from a higher being in order to survive." The woman began solemnly as she gently squeezed the other woman's hand. Sakura clung to her hand desperately. Akemi was the only one that was grounding her thoughts. She was the only link she had at the moment. "You'll be sore for a few days. Your body is still not used to the strain." Her matter-of-fact tone did not faze Sakura.

"I lost control." Her voice was so bland. It almost felt as if she was talking about someone else, someone that she did not even know. Akemi kept the frown from her face. She was worried about the medic. She seemed too detached and accepting of everything. Sakura was being a little too objective and not subjective enough. It was her life and wellbeing that they were discussing but she seemed hardly interested.

Her jade eyes opened in a lethargic manner. They were as blank as her tone. The maiden's heartbeat increased, uncomfortably. She touched the green orbs on Sakura's forehead in an affectionate gesture but the pinkette gave no indication of noticing.

"I'm afraid that it's not my place to tell. It will become clear in due time. He'll tell you when you're ready." She supplied in an apologetic tone. She wanted to give Sakura what she wanted but sadly, it was not what she needed at the moment.

The Haruno sighed in exasperation. Akemi sounded so much like Naruto had. She was hiding something from her, but Sakura did not have the strength to draw it out into the open. She decided that she would be patient, just this once. She was not even remotely curious about the mysterious "he" that Akemi had referred too. She did not want to meet him.

Another question was burning, just waiting to be asked. Having it answered was her priority. "Is Danzo dead?" She asked as she turned her head back to look at the ceiling. The plainness that met her gaze brought her some form of comfort. Her life was chaotic and it was nice to have something unchanging and unyielding to look at. No matter how bad things got, the walls of her subconscious never changed. Consistency was important to her.

"Yes." Akemi mimicked her actions. Her gold eyes stared with disinterest at the soft hues of white and yellow. The scenery was redundant. She had spent many months staring at the very colors and swirls. Sakura was the only thing that stood out against the expanse of soft light. Her pink locks, green eyes, and bright garbs colored the landscape. She was the only thing worth noticing in the quiet. She was the only person who mattered. Akemi was nothing more than a physical representation of the chakra. She faded in the surroundings.

Sakura, she stood out. She illuminated this place. It was a shame that the medic failed to see just how amazing she was. The maiden would have to follow her own advice. All would become clear in due time and Sakura would finally realize her worth. She is going to need some help along the way but she was certain that there were people that were more than willing to offer it.

"Hime, why did the God' chose me?" It was an innocent question and a very good question. It was also a fair question. She would be able to answer it. It had been plaguing Sakura's mind ever since she met Akemi. She needed answers and the maiden was the only one who could provide her with them.

"You were the ideal candidate. Naruto and Sasuke may have been stronger than you but they had major personality flaws."Akemi began. She gripped Sakura's hand in both of hers. What she had to say would be difficult for Sakura. The pinkette had already been through so much, but things would only get worse for her before they got better. She would need to be brought down to her hands and knees in defeat, some more, before she could start rebuilding in earnest.

She needed a better understanding of Konoha's history, her history. She needed to understand why she had been chosen. She needed to understand her past in order to change the future. She was their last hope. Akemi was very aware of the pressure resting on her shoulders. Her words could very much alter the fate of the future. She would have to be extra cautious when choosing them.

"Flaws?" The green eyed medic turned her head to look at the white haired maiden. Her pink brows were knit together in a different manner. She was no longer in pain, she was now solely curious. Her curiosity was for good reason. Akemi was mildly surprised that Sakura had waited so long to bring up the question. Her patience had been out of character.

"Naruto is too rash, he does not think about the intricacies of his behavior. He acts on emotion and does not consider the consequences of his actions. Also the world would not be balanced with two kyuubi within close range of each other. It could have been a disaster."

Sakura hummed in agreement. She fingered her long locks with her free hand. She twisted a long strand in between her fingers. She could not picture Naruto in the past. It would have been nice for him to meet his parents but she also knew that it would cause him pain as well. He would have spent his time wondering about what could have been, had his parents survived.

Naruto was too hyperactive and impulsive for the task she had been assigned. She was a better candidate than the blonde but there were others that would be better suited than her. She could list at least ten names from the top of her head. It still was not clear to her why she was chosen."And Sasuke?"

Sasuke was calm, calculating, and rational. He also was stronger than her. In her opinion, he would have been a better choice. He was also extremely influential and knowledgeable. He had the potential to do a better job than her. She, herself, would have chosen him.

"He is too self-oriented. Sasuke's loyalties do not lie with the village's best interest. They lie with his best interest. He would have only changed the events that fancied his needs." Sakura nodded her head at the deity's explanation.

Sasuke was a very selfish individual and had been one up until a few months before his death. He had changed due to their influence and due to the knowledge of him impeding end. But he would have been heavily tempted to stray from the path of the mission. She trusted him- as much as one could, given the circumstances- but even she was not foolish enough to believe in him with such blind faith.

He would have lost sight of the bigger picture. His whole family was still alive in the past, so he would have done everything in his power to further their needs, and not necessarily the needs of the shinobi world as a whole. The Uchiha Clan would have flourished to legendary ranks but the same could not be said for Konoha.

"Anyone from the older generation was never an option because it would have led to conflicting interests." Not once had her eyes left Sakura's. She offered her companion a small smile of reassurance for support. It was a weak gesture but Akemi knew that Sakura deeply appreciated it.

Anyone older than her would have created new headaches. She did not think that two of the same person could exist in the same timeline. Even if it was somehow possible, it still would have been a challenging. Horrible things could have happened to them and their presence would have posed many uncomfortable questions. Their sudden appearance would have been even more extraordinary than hers. People would have noticed and that only promised trouble.

"Why am I the ideal candidate?" Sakura saw Akemi visible flinch and felt her heart in her throat. She would not like the reason. She had gathered that much from the white haired woman's reaction. Sakura steeled herself for what was to reached out with one hand and cupped Sakura's face. More alarm bells went off in Sakura's head.

"Flower-chan, you thrive in areas your comrades lack. You are intelligent. Rarely do you do something without thinking it through. You're ability to heal also makes you the prime choice. Out of everyone from your time you had the most potential to change the course of the future."

Potential, there was that word again. Sakura was beginning to really resent it. "Also bringing you back in time had the least complications. You are from a civilian family, flower-chan. No one would miss the absence of your parents."

Sakura's heart stopped, she looked at Akemi desperately. She racked her brain for the familiar faces. To her horror, their faces were a blur to her. She did not remember what their voices sounded like. She did not remember how they smelled. She did not remember how it felt to be held by them. She did not remember many things about them and it terrified her.

"My parents?" Oh kami, she dreaded the answer. She had not seen them since coming back. She had just dismissed that as conflicting schedules. She had not worried about her lack of interaction with them. They were civilians, she was as shinobi. They lived vastly different lives, so it was not unimaginable that they never crossed paths.

Her heart remembered how to function. The organ was beating painfully in her chest. It was threatening to beat right out of her. She should have checked up on them, she should have looked for them. She should have done something. Her mind was full of 'what if' scenarios. She had been a terrible daughter. She had not once thought about them in months.

Akemi looked at her sadly and brought both of her hands back to Sakura's. The touch now made Sakura's skin crawl. She wanted nothing more that to rip her hand from her grasp and frantically search for her parents. She longed to hold them close and tell them that she loved them. "We had to eliminate their existence flower-chan, so that you could go back. Their lives in exchange for yours," tears streamed down Sakura's cheeks. Her lower lip quivered.

The sound of her breaking heart was amplified in the silence. She could not believe what Akemi was telling her. This had to be a joke. A cruel, twisted, disturbing joke and any minute now, Akemi's face would break out into a smile. Sakura waited for the woman's expression to change, only in never did. Her gold eyes curved with sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan but it had to be done. If the God's had sent someone back from a notable shinobi family, people would have noticed. Their traits and skills would have been unmistakable. They would have been identified in mere weeks and we could not risk that."

Logically all her words made sense. But Sakura's heart was still not understanding or accepting what her brain was telling her. Her parents were not dead, they were safe in Konoha. There were a million reasons why she had not seen them yet. They were okay, they were alive. They were happy. Maybe if she told herself something enough it would become reality.

"This world, you are in, is different than the past you were expecting. It's different because the God's had to tailor it so that there would not be any inconsistencies. Your parent's lived in the past and they gave birth to a girl and the girl's birth coincides to when you really were born. You were born a little over twenty one years ago, to this day."

Her stomach constricted at her words. It was not possible. Sakura was born four years from now. She was from the future. She was not from this time. She was born in the same year Naruto was. She was not supposed to exist was not from this time, why was Akemi lying to her? How did the woman expect Sakura to believe that she was born in the past? Did she not remember sending her back? She was from the future, Sakura felt herself start to unravel all over again.

"So you see Sakura-chan, you never were a part of the future, you were merely there for protection and it was always in your fate to be sent back to your real time. This is your world. This time has always been your home. You were merely a guest before but now you are home. You were born two years after the people you have come to call friends."

Akemi looked at the woman in front of her with concern. She had just unloaded a great deal on her. She hoped that Sakura would let some else shoulder the burden with her. The pinkette stared at her with a blank face. But her eyes, they were sharp and bright. It was a good indication that Sakura was processing and understanding the reality of the situation.

It was all making sense now. Her parents had mentioned once or twice that they had moved to Konoha when Sakura was just a baby. They were civilians so no one questioned them and no one found them out of the ordinary. They had easily blending into Konoha's civilian population. Their presence was normal, mundane.

After the war, civilians were in a state of flux. Many nomads left their obliterated camps to join stronger villages. Konoha had experienced record immigration several years following the Third Shinobi War. Her parents and she were just three of the many. They were nothing special, no one worth questioning or researching.

How easy would it have been for the God's to fabricate her parent's memories so that they did not remember being from a different time? When Sakura was born Minato was only two years old. Her parents were not from Minato's generation, she was!

The Gods had teleported her in the future because they felt that she would have the best odds of survival. She would be protected by Kakashi, Naruto, and to some extent Sasuke. She would thrive under the guidance of a more confident, self-assured Tsunade. She would have her best chance to grow up in relative peace in the future. The God's had planned her whole life out for her.

Her birth being the past also made sense logically. Had she been born in the future, at the time she thought she was, she would have vanished by now. She could not be a fixture in the past if she did not exist yet.

Another piece came back to her. Sakura's mother had told her that she was born at home. Her mother spoke fondly of the golden eyed midwife that had delivered her. She stared at Akemi with realization. It was as if she was seeing for the first time. She was born at home, no one outside of her family and Akemi would have even known about her existence. They must have moved the small family shortly after Sakura's birth. No one was none the wiser.

Everything had changed. Her whole world was different now. She belonged in this time. This was her home. She was finally home. This was her Konoha, it was not the Konoha of her parents. This was her time, her place, and her chance at redemption.

"So all the people I meet, all the people I befriended?" Her voice was surprisingly clear considering she had been crying moments ago. She had just shed, what had to be, fifty pounds of emotional baggage. She felt lighter than she had in years. She was finally home. She finally belonged to something once again. So, she was a permanent fixture in this time and always had been. Now she only had to worry about the people she loved.

"Their souls will come into existence but not necessarily as you remember them. They will have different paths to take, to come into this world but they will come. Flower-chan, you were a baby when I sent you in the future with your parents. It weighed down on my heart that you had to complete such an insurmountable task by yourself. I was hesitant at first but I can see that the God's chose wisely. You have been doing a beautiful job."

Akemi smiled warmly at her. She brushed a few stray locks from Sakura's forehead she fingered the green orbs and continued. She still remembered the chubby, red face of the baby she had held in her arms decades ago. That babe had grown into a fine woman. One worth respecting and loving and despite Sakura's efforts to push people away, she had a strong following. The maiden hoped that Sakura would one day realize just how unique and worthy she was.

"This chakra is not human. It's my chakra. When the God's agreed to accept me as their servant they made me an immortal being, but the human in me still left me vulnerable. I would not age or die from diseases but I could still be killed. When they gave me my gift, this chakra was a result. You can use it but it has its consequences. It has the potential to rapidly shorten your lifespan, if you're not careful. Also if you rely on it heavily enough it can overwhelm your body and cause it to go into shock. It has the potential to do more damage than good. Do you understand what I am saying to you, flower-chan?"

She tapped the woman's shoulder in an affectionate gesture. Everything about Akemi was maternal. How did she miss that about her? How did she overlook the tenderness that the white haired woman stared at her with? How did she not notice the way Akemi seemed to shelter her and attempt to protect her from everything? Was she really that blind to everything?

She may have lost her real parents but she had gained so much more. She had gained the lives of her friends back, the lives of people she loved. She had gained a new people to care about. She had gained far more than she lost.

"So everything that I have known is a lie?" Her voice made it clear that she was deep in her own thoughts. If she was not born on the date she thought she was, then who was she? Was everything that she had worked for planned out? Was her whole life controlled even more so than Neji's?

She finally understood what the Hyuga had meant by imprisonment. One did not know about freedom until it was suddenly denied. Had she been denied freedom from the beginning? Was she just a tool? Did the God's not consider the consequences of their decision? Were her feelings and happiness not irrelevant in all this? Did she really not matter to them?

Akemi sighed. She had hoped that the conversation would not take this path. She had hoped that Sakura would have seen it as sign of the amount of trust that the God's held in her. She had hoped that Sakura would have appreciated the faith they placed in her. She had tremendous responsibility but that was only because they believed in her, in her resolve and her heart.

"No it's not. We may have sent you in the future but that was the extent of our influence. We did not manipulate anyone's feelings about you. So, all the relationships that you created were because of your personality, your drive, and your own power." The Haruno blinked slowly.

Her brain was trying to process every syllable that came out of Akemi's mouth. Everything the maiden said had to do with her. Her words explained her life, her past, her present, and even her future. "We had to give you, your best chance."

The medic recognized the truth in Akemi's words. She would have been lost in this word. No one would have taken the time to train her, to nurture her, or to even notice her. She had grown up in peace, she had trained in peace, she had become herself in a peaceful time. Who knew how she would have turned out if she never made it to the future.

The relationships that she had established with individuals had shaped her into being who she was today and she would never trade that for the world. She valued the bonds she made with what she had assumed were her peers. What she felt for them was genuine and it was a relief to be assured that what they had felt towards her was equally real.

"It will become reality soon enough. Think of it as a preview of what is in store for you. The events will be different, your relationships will be different but they will live once again Sakura-chan." Sakura looked at the woman in front of her and it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest. Her friends would survive. They would get a second chance. She would get a second chance!

She would not waste it. She had hated what she had become. So now she could change herself, she could reform, and she could improve. She could be the Sakura that she wanted to be. She was given the opportunity to carve out a new identity for herself. She had a clean slate. And this time around, she would not fail her precious people. She no longer had to hold onto the guilt of losing them. She would not let them slip through her fingers.

The loss of her parents still weighed on her heart. But their sacrifice allowed her to have a better future and outlook in life. That was what every parent hoped for, that was what every parent dreamed off. Her parents' dream had come true. Sakura would have a better life than them, and she knew that they would not have wanted anything more.

"So you meet me as a baby?" Sakura asked quietly suddenly she felt shy. This woman had known her from birth. This woman had been a part of her life, her existence, and her continued survival. Akemi had been there for her, at every milestone. Akemi was around at her birth, and her 'death'. The woman knew more about Sakura than even the pinkette knew about herself.

"Hmm, you had the cutest smile." Akemi grinned at her. The wink that she spared her did not seem very ladylike, in Sakura's opinion. Sakura's lips twitched upward. It appeared that not even an immortal was immune to her influence.

"So that's why you called me child." Sakura huffed in mock annoyance. She had wondered about that for a while now. It had struck her as odd that a woman, who only looked a few years older than her, referred to her in such a manner.

"I may look young but I have been around for a long time, child." She added the last part teasingly. The sound of her laughter lifted Sakura's spirits. Her life was missing that display of happiness, lately. But she would change that very soon. She was determined not to repeat her mistakes.

"Can I stay here longer, hime?" She asked with hope clearly etched in her features. She did not want to leave her side. She still had so many questions to ask, so many things to hear. She still wanted to mourn the loss of her parents a bit more. She would not have time to do it when she returned. She had priorities to attend too once she woke. She knew that she had to go back eventually, but surely, Akemi would not mind if she stayed a bit longer. The white haired maiden seemed to enjoy her company.

A thoughtful look came across her face. "Hmm, I don't see the harm." Akemi said before she quickly added "As long as you promise to go back."

"I promise." She still had people that needed her help. She still had many things to accomplish. And she still had many people that she needed to be reunited with.

* * *

Tsunade set her mouth in a thin line as she regarded the slumbering woman in front of her. She involuntarily remembered the conversation she had with Sakura shortly after the pinkette had recovered from having her body crushed.

* * *

_Flashback: _

_"You're leaving." It was not a question it was just a blunt statement. Her dull eyes stared at Tsunade, unblinkingly. She was standing with her hands firmly on her hips and wearing her most authoritative expression. _

_"Who told you I was leaving, gaki? They only other person who knows is the Hokage and I doubt he told you." Amber eyes narrowed at the woman that stood in her way. She was still in her hospital garbs, with her bare feet and all. She had snuck out, no doubt. _

_Her presence was not explained. Tsunade had left earlier than planned. Not even the Hokage knew of the exact time or day she was leaving. But even if he did, Sarutobi would never go behind her back and tell Sakura, he respected her too much to do that. Sakura stared back with equal defiance. Her chin tilted in the air. _

_"I never would have guessed that you are the type of person who runs away from her problems." She effectively avoided the question. She had just woken up with a sense of foreboding. She knew how her master operated, she had just taken a guess and luckily she was right. _

_If she had waited another few hours, she never would have seen her again. She was thankful that she developed a 'Tsunade-Radar' while studying under her. The radar, or her gut, had allowed Sakura to get out of trouble on more than one occasion. It always itched when her master was in a particularly bad mood or was about to make a rash decision. At the moment, Tsunade was a little of both. _

_Tsunade's nostrils flared in anger. "Shizune!" She barked over her shoulder at the nervous chuunin. "Give us time. Meet me back here in fifteen minutes." The girl was quick to leave the older women alone. Sakura watched her all but sprint from the scene. _

_"Just because you are my supposed successor that doesn't mean I have to take lip from you. Sarutobi-sensei asked me to delay my departure just so I could check up on you when you got here. I did my part. Now move out of my way or I'll make you move!" Tsunade's voice was laced with venom. She knew that she was at her most intimidating but the girl in front of her did not even flinch. _

_"If you leave now, more people you love will die." The younger woman began firmly. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her green eyes bore into her, challenging her. She would not be denied. She would not be persuaded from her stance. She was even more stubborn than the sannin was. _

_"I do not have any more loved ones to lose!" She made a gesture to harshly shove the medic away but she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened in a mix of shock and fear. She took two involuntary steps back. _

_Sakura held open her bloody palm face up for Tsunade to see. Tsunade felt herself start to shut down. "P-please stop." She begged with wide eyes. She gripped her necklace so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. _

_"I'm sorry to do this to you, Tsunade-shishou, but you need to hear this. This village needs you. You are a kunoichi, and as long as that holds true, you still have everyone in the village to fight for. You may have lost faith in yourself, but the village still believes in you. I still believe in you. Your brother and lover would not want to see you run away. They would want you to carry out their dreams." The woman had a look of sympathy and something remotely resembling of pity in her eyes. _

_"How could you, possibly know what they would have wanted?! You did not even know them!" She spat out at the woman. Her index finger pointed at Sakura in an accusing manner. Her anger momentarily helped her forget her fear of blood. "You know nothing about them, or me!" She continued to accuse the medic. _

_"You're right, I did not meet Dan or Nawaki but I did know you. I spent three years studying under you and even longer working alongside you. I found my way as a kunoichi and as a medic thanks to you. And I can never even begin to repay you for everything you've done for me. You're right, I don't know a lot." Sakura paused to take a deep breath._

_Her next words with either make or break her argument. She needed to choose and deliver them very carefully. She looked at Tsunade from under her lashes. She would not get another chance. This was her second chance. Her head was beginning to spin. This was the longest she had stood on her own feet since getting injured. _

_"But what I do know is that the shihsou of my time is miserable. She followed the same path you are about to and it led to nothing but self loathing and pity. She was a fine Hokage but she never respected herself. She always saw a failure, coward, and fraud when she looked in the mirror."_

_She paused to stare at the blonde and catch her breath. She let a dizzy spell pass before speaking again. "She was a coward because she spent over a decade trying to run from her problems. She was a failure because she couldn't save her precious people. And she was a fraud because to all her shinobi she preached loving Konoha, loving yourself, respecting yourself but in reality she once hated the village, she hated herself, and she certainly did not respect herself. Please, you can still avoid becoming that woman." _

_Vertigo threatened to knock her off her feet but she stubbornly fought back. This was too important to her to give up now. "Allow yourself to grieve and take as long as you need but you need to come out on the other side. There are people that love you, hime. You're like a mother to me, to my comrades. Please hime stay in the village. Embrace the fact that people want to see you succeed. That people want you to be happy."_

_She felt like a hypocrite. She felt dirty and manipulative. But what she was struggling with in the inside was something for her to overcome, for her to live with. What she was feeling and thinking was her burden. Tsunade did not need to be bothered with the details._

_Everything she had said she had meant. Tsunade deserved happiness, she deserved respect, and she deserved redemption. The blonde still had an opportunity for it all. Sakura held her breathe in anticipation. She hoped that this version of the slug princess was oblivious to her inner turmoil. __Maybe if Tsunade could believe her words, then maybe one day Sakura would come to believe in them too._

_ Tsunade stared in mute shock at the sobbing kunoichi in front of her. Her brain slowly processed her words, her thoughts, and her hopes. Tsunade felt as if she had been sucker punched. And in a sense she had been the truth had gotten a clean hit. She took in the woman's broken form the tears, the hunched shoulders, and the unruly pink mane. _

_She had misjudged her from the beginning. Sakura was not here to replace her, no, Sakura was here to keep her around. The medic before her surpassed her in every way but here she was begging Tsunade to stay. She was the one allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of the blonde. The pinkette was reaching out to her. _

_She was the one asking something from Tsunade. It was then that the blonde realized that Sakura was her legacy and she could not be more humbled to call Sakura her successor. She had been foolish and instead of highlighting that fact the pinkette was offering her an olive branch. They could start over and this time around Tsunade could finally really get to know her former student._

_At some point of her speech the medic had clenched her fist and hid the crimson from the blonde. She really had no intention of hurting Tsunade. She was just desperate to get her attention any way possible. __Tsunade vaguely became aware that Sakura was studying her with thinly veiled hope. _

_"Give me your hand, gaki." She said roughly as she gently took her hand and coaxed her fingers open. Tsunade closed the gash with a flick of chakra and looked up in time to see her breathtaking smile._

_"Thank you, Tsunade-shishou." She felt the dizziness recede. It was replaced with giddiness. She felt light, accomplished, relived. _

_"Don't thank me just yet. Come at me." The blonde's gaze bore into Sakura's shocked face. She was quick to recover.__"_

_I've never been one to turn down a challenge, my shishou taught me that." Sakura smirked haughtily the expression lost some bite because her eyes were still bright with unshed tears. _

* * *

Tsunade had lost the spar. But she had felt more accomplished at that moment than at another other point in her life. She was happier than she had been in years. She had raised an amazing protégé, but she suspected as much. Because despite everything, Sakura's accolades were just a testament to how good Tsunade was and she took pride in that fact.

She only felt pride because she had let Sakura in, but now that relationship was tormenting her. Tsunade was having trouble seeing the woman in such a still state. She could not lose her too. She had finally let someone into her heart but her curse had remained. Sakura was going to die because of Tsunade. She was going to die because she loved her. Her old insecurities came back with added momentum. If the pinkette died, Tsunade would lose it.

She had put all her faith in Sakura and look where it got her. She stared at the evenly breathing woman. With every breath she took, Tsunade felt seconds being shaved off her own lifespan. Her heart was being torn out of her while it was still beating. _'Please gaki, wake up.'_ She unthinkingly grabbed her necklace as she said a silent prayer. Sakura had been a blessing in her life. Sakura had changed her for the better but it came at Sakura's expense.

_'No, I have faith in her. She's beat this.' _She moved a few wayward strands of hair off of Sakura's forehead, fondly. She would succeed with Sakura where she had failed with Nawaki and Dan. The kid had really grown on her and she would be damned if she let her slip away. Her eyes hardened with resolve. Sakura would wake. It was only a matter of time.

"How is she?" Minato hovered over her shoulder. Tsunade resisted the urge to punch his teeth in. He was doing nothing to relieve her fears. His constant presence was bothersome in of its self. He did not say much but the frantic energy that he was emitting was only furthering her doubt.

Every time the blonde looked from Sakura to the sun outside, Tsunade felt her heart jolt. She was very aware of just how grave the situation was. She did not need the blonde constantly reminding of her of what she already knew. She was still in a coma, but she had no reason to was worried about her. Even though he never verbalized his thoughts everyone in the room knew just how helpless the Namikaze felt. After all, they all felt the same way.

"There is nothing physically wrong with her. Her body's perfectly healthy and her chakra has been replenished." Tsunade rubbed her temples in an attempt to soothe her headache.

"She's been out cold for nine days, Tsunade." Tsunade gritted her teeth together and glared at her former teammate. He was just as bad as the blonde. Jiraiya was not as verbal as the Namikaze but his constant eyes on her drove her crazy. She hated how he looked at her. He looked at her as if she was about to break. She was not broken, so he had no reason to treat her accordingly.

"I'm well aware of the fact. Thank you!" She snapped at him. The room instantly quieted down. She relished the lack of noise from the men. The loud ticking of the clock was a constant reminder that she was running out of time. It ticks of the second hand blared in her ears.

"Do you think her body has induced a comma again to heal her?" The Hokage asked from his perch in the window. He was visiting her again. Even with his busy schedule he made a point to check up on Sakura every day. The pinkette was not allowed visitors because of her condition but also because of the situation she had put herself in.

She had killed a notable member of Konoha. She was to be treated as special case. It was merely for show, everyone in the room knew that she would get off without being punished. She was too valuable to the village to execute and even the elders had to admit that fact.

"No. Her body went in a comma to heal life threatening injuries. This time she did not heal herself. I had too. Her injuries weren't that severe. She only had a few fractured ribs, burnt coils, a broken wrist, and flesh wounds. None of that should have warranted the coma."

Tsunade bit her nail in frustration. She had checked everything that she was supposed to. Sakura was fine, there was nothing amiss. But it was all a lie, the woman was still in a comatose state. Her eyes were showing everything that she needed to know. Sakura was still asleep and if she did not wake soon, Tsunade would beat her until she did.

"There's nothing wrong with her. I can't fix anything if there's nothing wrong!" Tsunade pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes angrily, quickly wiping away tears before they fell. She did not want the other occupants to see her cry. She was not broken, she knew that but she was convinced that the others did not. Tsuande felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look sadly at Jiraiya.

"Go home Tsunade, you need rest." The blonde simply nodded at her teammate and allowed him to lead her home. She leaned into him for strength. She knew what waited for her, another sleepless night. She had been nine days sober and she was really itching to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

But Sakura needed her. She would have to make do without sake for at least one more night, for Sakura's sake and her own sake.

* * *

"Minato, I have paperwork that I need to take care of and a meeting with the council. Inform me when Sakura-chan wakes up." The Hokage clapped the young blonde on the back before he left. The Hokage was truly a man to admire and strive to emulate. Minato smiled sadly at the Hokage's words.

"You hear that bubblegum? He said when you wake up. Not if, don't keep the Hokage waiting." Minato looked down at her solemnly. It had been nine days since he had last seen her move. It had been more than eleven days since he had seen her smile, angry, and cry. It had been over nine days since he had kissed her.

He could not help but blame himself for her current state. It was because of him that she had requested the mission. He was the reason that she fled that village so quickly. He had smothered her. He had confused her. He had scared her enough to the point that she put miles of distance between them.

He had not planned on kissing her. His only objective had been to talk to her, to figure out how her head worked. All he wanted was a glimpse into her thoughts, and her wants. But had had lost his control, his purpose when he had faced her. She had unknowingly affected him more than anyone else had.

It had been eleven days since he held her in her arms. And as each day passed by, the chances of her waking up were becoming slimmer and slimmer. Minato gently slid his hand over her small, cold one and held on tight. He was careful to not jostle her broken wrist. Tsunade had decided that it would be best to let the joint heal on its own. She had said something about Sakura healing faster than most.

He promised himself that he would listen to her. He would do anything she asked him to do. He would honor her wishes, no matter how much it would pain him. He was the reason she was like this, so he had to be the one to fix it. She would get what she wanted, even if it was completely against his own wants and needs.

He pressed his lips against her forehead. To his disappointment she did not even give any indication of life, other than her shallow breathing. "Don't keep us waiting, Sakura."

'_Don't keep me waiting.'_

* * *

"I think it getting close to the time for you to leave." Akemi said lazily staring lethargically at the bright ceiling of Sakura's subconscious. The hours had crawled by. Her talk with Sakura had left her completely exhausted. Perhaps she had shared too much too soon.

Akemi dismissed the thought quickly. Sakura was an adult, she understood better than anyone about how much she could handle. The medic had been kept in the dark for her whole life and Akemi felt that she owed it to her to help fill in as many details as possible.

Sakura turned on her side and gave her friend a sour look. "Is that your way of kicking me out?" The pout on her lips was purely fabricated. She knew what Akemi's intentions were but it was still fun to tease her.

The more time she spent with the woman, the more Sakura understood herself. As each second passed by she gained more knowledge, more clarity, and more purpose. The woman was a valuable ally and guide. Sakura planned to pick her brain as much as Akemi would allow her.

Her parents had not been missed. They had simply faded from the minds of most Konoha citizens. Since they were civilians they were not a tight knit as the shinobi community. Not even their neighbors had found it strange that the small family of two had completely vanished. Most had no idea that Sakura's mother was pregnant, much less had given birth. They had all assumed that they had moved.

Her parents were quiet people. They kept to themselves and people respected that. Also long as her parents were willing to give their neighbors privacy they extended the same courtesy. It was still difficult for her to believe that she was born here. She was born twenty-six years before she had been lead to believe her whole life. It would take some time before that fact resonated with her.

It struck Akemi as ironic how Sakura considered that she was doing the selfless thing by ceding in her pursuit of Minato, for Kushina. What the medic failed to realize that Sakura was in fact, acting in an extremely selfish manner. If the pinkette continued to go down her road, many hearts would be broken and many lives ruined. She was not just denying herself happiness but she was making the same decision for the blonde. She was altering both of their lives and happiness without even giving it much consideration.

But Akemi could not bring herself to voice her thoughts. Sakura had been through enough already. Her insight was better suited for another occasion at another time. The maiden's lips tugged upwards in a ghost of a smile. "Sometimes it's okay to be selfish, Sakura-chan."

The medic's bright eyes regarded her slowly. Sakura pinched the corner of her lips together before responding. "What?" Her question was ungraceful, blunt, and a bit underwhelming. The Haruno had not disappointed Akemi.

The white haired deity shrugged her shoulders, casually. She had to literally bite her tongue to keep from saying more. She did not want to push Sakura into doing something that she was not emotionally ready for. She thought about Minato frequently enough, as it was. She was just planting the seeds and it would all come together, one day.

Akemi decided to spearhead the conversation in another direction. "Time is slower here, flower-chan. You're comrades are probably worried about you." Akemi decided to take another angle. "You've been away from them for several days now." She took in Sakura's startled expression, her previous statement was completely forgotten. The medic had assumed that she had only missed two days at the most.

Sakura looked at her and contemplated her options. Since being here with Akemi she had made peace with her life and her role. She was happy here but she knew that she still had a mission to complete and until she did, it would nag her in the back of her mind.

"Can I visit again?" Sakura turned to her seriously. She liked being here. She felt complete and free to voice her thoughts. She did not have to fear revealing too much about herself when she was with Akemi. She did not have to pretend to be someone she was not. She could be Haruno Sakura here. And she missed being able to do that.

"You can, but I would prefer if you didn't." Akemi answered truthfully. Being here meant that Sakura was heavily injured. While it was nice to speak to the woman again, Akemi would much rather have Sakura never see her again. She wanted nothing but the best for Sakura. She had developed a close bond with the kunoichi the moment she had held her in her arms, for the very first time. Sakura had drawn her first breathes in front of her.

Akemi wanted to give the medic her best chance at happiness, and life. And all of that happened outside of her subconscious. The maiden would miss Sakura but it was a small price to pay for Sakura's connection she felt towards Sakura was stronger than any physical pull. They were connected, heart, body, mind, and soul. Sakura was every bit as part of her as much as Akemi was part of Sakura. They were intertwined from the moment her chakra had entered Sakura's network.

"Aww hime-chan I thought you liked spending time with me." Akemi giggled this time at Sakura's expression. She was still childish in so many ways. It warmed her heart that Sakura refused to completely grow up given everything she had been through. She still retained to some of her childhood innocence. Akemi was proud that Sakura still managed to hold on to some of herself. The world had done its best to break her but she remained unbroken, for the most part. She just needed a little tender care and she would be as good as new, if not better.

"I do. But I prefer the idea of you staying alive better. Go now, flower-chan. They have suffered enough." Akemi rose gracefully and she pulled Sakura to her feet as well. The white haired maiden kissed Sakura's cheek and patted the woman on the head. "Bye Sakura-chan and it better be a long while before I see you again!"

* * *

Sakura smiled as she felt herself waking up. She fluttered her eyes open. Her long lashes grazed the top of her cheeks with each movement. The ceiling of the hospital greeted her. The soft sunshine on her arms served to warm her. She let out a small sigh. She was back from her vacation. She had her worked cut out for her. She let the sun heat her face for a few moments more.

She needed to get up. She had wasted enough time already. She tried to sit upright but something heavy on her torso was stopping her, midway. She felt a dull pain in her left wrist. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in surprise.

She leaned back on her elbows as the weight settled itself onto her stomach. It was heavy and furry. The soft hairs were poking the skin of her abdomen. The thin hospital shift she wore had hiked up in her sleep. There were goosebumps on the exposed flesh of stomach. The fur ball on her stomach was providing her abdomen with much needed warmth.

She blinked a few times and let her eyes adjust to the brightness of the room. Sakura looked down in dismay at heavy object was still there. It took her a second to recognize the head of spikes that she was looking at. A small smiled graced her lips.

_'Minato, you poor, pathetic sap'_ she thought fondly. He had one of her hands in his grasp. She had lost feeling in it. It was her left hand. She noted the thin brace around her wrist. It was broken and for some reason Tsunade had not healed it, but Sakura did not mind. She had a feeling that she would heal soon enough.

Sakura allowed herself a moment more to study his perfect features. His golden eyelashes fanned around his eyelids in a thick curtain. It was really unfair just how long and lush his eyelashes were. He was a boy. He did not need to have gorgeous eyes when his face was already pretty enough.

The longer she stared at him the more differences she noted between him and Naruto. Minato's chin was sharper, his eyes were narrower, and he was defiantly a lighter complexion than his son. He also had less of a boyish appearance than Naruto did. Minato's cheekbones were more pronounced than Naruto's. His hair was longer but it was still neater than his son's.

They were both beautiful in their own right. Naruto had inherited Kushina's face, eye shape, and her beautiful sun kissed skin. The Uzumaki's were rounder than the Namikaze. But their differences were not limited to their looks. They had distinct personalities.

Minato was not Naruto. And Naruto was not Minato. She finally realized that fact while she was having her conversation with Akemi. They were their own people. They each had their strengths and weaknesses. They had their faults. They were father and son. They were similar in some ways but equally different in others.

The smooth skin of his forehead and cheeks contrasted against the bland sheets. He had spent some time in the hospital. She could tell from the wrinkles in his clothes and the barely visible rings under his eyes. He had been losing sleep. She could tell by the down turn of his lips. He did not look like he was having very pleasant dreams.

Sakura threaded the fingers from her free hand in his locks. She figured her actions could not hurt. He was completely unaware of her touches, her stares, and her feelings. She could look at him to her heart's content without feeling guilty. She had just survived a harrowing ordeal, so she figured that this was owed to her.

His hair felt so smooth and soft under her touch. She could spend a lifetime just running her hands through his hair. She felt each strand through her fingertips. It was softer than Naruto's had been, and it was defiantly longer than his. Her nails scratched his scalp lightly. She knew that Naruto loved it when she did that. She wondered if Minato would love it as well.

She saw his brows twitch as she continued to play with his tresses. She almost felt guilty for waking him. He looked like he desperately needed rest. But she had worried these people too long. She owed it to them to end their misery.

He was slow to rise. He yawned first, wiped the remaining traces of sleep from his eyes next, and then proceeded to study her intently. Her hand fell from his hair. It landed limply at her side. She missed the feel of his mane instantly.

"Get up porky, you're heavy." Sakura whined good naturedly. She needed something to cut the tension and intensity from the room. She was having trouble breathing courtesy of the soul searching gaze he was pinning her with. It was so sensual, so intimate, so overwhelming. She could see so much dancing across his irises. She was afraid to delve too deep into reading them all. She would go crazy before she even go through the half of it.

Minato was not Naruto, he did not love her like his son had. He did not feel that strongly about her. They had just met, they were barely acquaintances. They were acquaintances that had shared countless kisses and two life and death situations, but acquaintances nonetheless.

They were little better than strangers. They were two people that were pushed together by circumstances but that would all change now. She was alive, so he had no reason to be here anymore. They could go their separate ways now. They could live their own lives now.

But despite all the thoughts in her head, her heart refused to acknowledge any of them. She found herself staring at him with as much intensity as he was at her. His cobalt eyes were dark with unreadable emotion. Sakura swallowed thickly. She just realized that she was completely alone with this man.

_'Minato,' _she was falling for him, and falling for him hard. Maybe she had already completely fallen. Maybe she was getting close to that point. She did not even know if she would ever hit the ground again. All she could ask for was mercy, now. She hoped that the landing would be quick and painless.

* * *

The next chapter will not be a cliffy, You have my word on that. :)


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